Caspian Tern 5" x 5" acrylic $245

#3 in a series of bird paintings with the sandy background. This one is a caspian tern, another species found in this habitat. There will be four total and I'm looking forward to seeing them as a set.
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Northern Shovelers 18"x13" acrylic NFS

This painting is for the California Duck Stamp Competition. It is a group of northern shovelers brilliantly lit up against a cloudy background. Often times int he field it is the distinctive white chests and wing linings that light up in the sky that makes the ducks easily identifiable. There large, spoon-like bills for which they are aptly named, are also an easy identifying marker for this species.

An interesting note is that duck stamp contests pick the species they would like and dictate the size of the submissions. The rest is left up to the artists interpretation. With this painting I wanted to go in a different direction than most stamps, which usually depict a pair on the water or in flight. I chose to paint three and "a half" ducks that are in the process of passing by. The duck that is cropped gives the flock a sense of movement and gives the viewer the sense that this is a fleeting glance.

This painting will be for sale following the competition in late May. If you are interested in making an offer you can contact peter@mathiosstudios.net.
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The Bachelors 4" x 4" acrylic

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American wigeon used to be known as "baldpates" because their white forehead stripe gave them the appearance of a bald man. These three males, however, are not bald but swim peacefully through calm waters in full plumage resting up for the upcoming breeding season.
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Snowy Plover 5" x 5" acrylic $245

This is the second in a series of daily paintings featuring a simplistic sandy background, which is prime habitat for the snowy plover.
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Cardinal and Blossoms 9" x 12" acrylic

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A handsome male cardinal rests on an early spring apple branch.
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Western Gull 5" x 5" acrylic on board $245

A western gull stand statuesque on a smooth and firm band of wet sand. The color scheme of this scene and the simplicity in the composition are the inspiration behind this painting.
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Distant Wolf 5" x 7" acrylic on board

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A lone wolf traverses a wintry mountain meadow as late afternoon progresses into evening.

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New Print Release - "South Platte Sunrise"

Image Size (unframed): 15" x 20"

Throughout the past year, the regular edition prints of South Platte Sunrise were used to raise money for upland bird habitat at Pheasants Forever banquets throughout the country. Now the remaining prints from the Artist Proof edition are available. The edition size is 50 prints and only 22 of those remain. To see more available prints, click here.

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Caught 20"x16" acrylic on canvas

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This painting is being auctioned off this evening at a local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet and fundraiser. In this painting I focused on the look in the does eyes. She sees you and is very alert and is about to flee. The diagonal of the neck heightens the tension between the viewer and the deer. If you click on the image, a larger format reveals the detail in the deer.
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Autumn Interlude 18" x 36" acrylic

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It has been a while since I have posted a painting because this large original took a long time to finish. A flock of graceful northern pintail circle low over this late autumn cattail marsh. Pintail are strong flyers that travel up to 2,000 miles during their migrations. This group is arriving at a beautiful spot to rest and possibly even winter. I really wanted to capture the intricacies of the wetland in this painting as well as give the viewer a sense of atmosphere.My Website

Mulies (Reworked) 10"x24" acrylic $2400

Revised Version

Original Version

I have had this painting of mule deer around my home for about six months wondering how I can improve it. It finally hit me that the orange light in the background wasn't natural in that it went across the painting in three distinct lines. So, what I did was create more of draw in the landscape and had the last rays of afternoon light touch the tips of the grasses. There is now more of an uphill angle. I also went back in and detailed the deer a bit more.

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"The Challenger" 13x26 acrylic $3400

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This larger original painting is about the time of year when bull elk turn from friend to foe - the rut. Each autumn bull elk gather cows to breed and they need to defend their harems from other bulls who may want to steal away their herds. In this painting, the bull on the right has already moved his cows away as a large and quite capable challenger comes in to fight him. Right now these elk are at the peak of strength and health, but by the onset of winter after breeding, fighting and defending themselves, the rut will have depleted and exhausted these bulls.
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"Great Horned Owl" 5x5 acrylic $245

A nesting great horned owl peers through the tree branches at you. Her watchful eyes are judging what might be a threat and what may not. She is well hidden and in most instances will be left alone. This particular owl was seen near the headquarters at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. They are common everywhere though.
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"Ruddy Ducks" 5x5 acrylic $245

Three ruddy ducks cruise through a reedy wetland. These ducks only turn their unique reddish color during the spring breeding season. I was inspired to create a subtle lighting to give the painting a more natural feeling.
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Wigeon 8x10 acrylic $800

This painting of a group of wigeon coming in is a color study for a commissioned painting for the St. Clair Flats Waterfowler's Inc. (SCFWI) conservation group. The main objective of the SCFWI is to generate local dollars to benefit local conservation within the St. Clair Flats area located at the tip of Harsens Island on the northern edge of Lake St. Clair in Michigan. The area is also one of the largest fresh water deltas in the US and their goal is to maintain it's habitat for several generations to come.
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"Pintail Skies" 20x24 acrylic on board

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Several times each year, I get commissioned to create a painting. Sometimes it is of a family pet, or a special scene of someone's children, but most of the time it's a painting of a favorite hunting spot with ducks coming in. Inspired by an earlier painting I did called The Next Five, this painting is exactly that and is a surprise gift for a surprise 40th birthday party. The painting features a flock of pintail coming into an Oklahoma wetland at daybreak. The focus of the painting was capturing the essence of the Oklahoma landscape. Early morning clouds offset the open skies where a flock of pintail have locked up their wings to sail in. The last of the Fall foliage clings to the trees as the marsh gets ready to surrender to winter.
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"Winter Field - Geese" 13x18 acrylic

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A pair of Canada Geese walk through a flooded grass seed field. This is a common scene in the Willamette Valley as seven subspecies of these geese visit each fall and winter. This painting is about capturing the subtle reflections in the background water and exemplifying the beautiful colors and dramatic light of something that is seen everyday.
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"Sentinels" 5x7 acrylic $265

Two sentinels watch over this grassy hill - a great oak tree and a great egret. Although the great egret is only temporary to this spot, it adds a nice tension in the painting. I recently saw this scene on a trip out to nearby Ankeny Hill National Wildlife Refuge and I couldn't wait to paint it because it evokes such a peaceful, solitary feeling.
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Winter Junco 4"x4" acrylic $225

This is a painting of a junco roosting among some dormant trees. The emerging seed buds are the only sign of the coming spring.
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Sandhills at Dusk 14"x11" acrylic $1400

It's evening and the beautiful call of Sandhill cranes can be heard throughout this flooded field. This is a painting of a pair getting ready to perform their courtship dance as the warm colors of dusk bathe the birds and the wetland.
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Wetland Reflections 4"x4" acrylic $225

A female northern shoveler has just landed in this secluded hideaway to forage for food and rest. Her colors allow her to hide well in this habitat. Also, shovelers get their name from their spoon-like bills.
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Winter Solitude 5"x7" acrylic

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A Northern Shoveler rests peacefully among the reflections of a winter wetland... This painting was reworked from an older painting. I felt it needed something more so I added the duck and the foreground grasses for depth.
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Broad-Billed Hummingbird 5"x5" acrylic

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Two Brothers 9"x12" acrylic

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These two brothers are not as competitive as they might normally be due to the wildebeest migration. There is plenty of prey and these lions are content and debating whether to stalk a passing herd.

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Wood Duck Drake 4"x4" acrylic $225

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Wood ducks are among the handsomest birds in North America. In this painting, a drake wood duck swims peacefully in a flooded backwater. These ducks nest in the cavities of trees during the spring and man-made nesting boxes have helped their numbers to remain strong.
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Northern Pintail (2010 Ducks Unlimited National Stamp) 7"x10" acrylic

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This is an opportunity to own the original painting for the upcoming 2010 Ducks Unlimited Stamp. The proceeds of the sale of the duck stamp which will be released this January goes to Ducks Unlimited to obtain and enhance wetland habitat throughout North America. The painting depicts a pair of pintail climbing out of William Finley National Wildlife Refuge on a crisp, cool and clearing morning.

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Verdin 4"x4" acrylic $225

This brilliant little songbird resides in the arid desert southwest. This bird is painted among some mesquite which is also common in the region.
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Eagle in Flight 7"x5" acrylic $265

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Bald eagles, one of our biggest birds of prey, are numerous in the Pacific Northwest. In the 1980's, the insecticide DDT, nearly wiped out this beautiful and majestic bird. In this painting I wanted to focus on giving the eagle a sense of height and flight.

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Cardinal 7"x5" acrylic

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Nesting Canada Goose 12"x24 acrylic

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This painting depicts a mother canada goose incubating her eggs much like the dead grasses of the past year are incubating the fresh green shoots that are beginning to poke through. Another Spring is fast approaching.

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Doe in Juniper 4"x4" acrylic

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Birds - by Peter Mathios $39.95

To read pages from this book
or to purchase this book - Click Here

Facts about the book:
- 8.5"x8.5" square soft cover
- 87 pages
- full color
- over 60 paintings spanning the past 12 years
- numerous field sketches
- descriptions of each painting
- artist bio
- introduction
and more

Winter Song Sparrow 5"x7" acrylic

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Wetland Study 8"x10" acrylic

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Elk Pair 12"x16" acrylic

SOLD