Trip to Milwaukee

This past week I had the opportunity to fly to Milwaukee to visit Classic Art Prints to sign the 2010 Ducks Unlimited National Stamp prints. Marie Cutraro and Tom Zarnoth do an incredible job of matching color and reproducing images as they create prints for many of the top artists in the country. I have been fortunate enough to visit them 3 out of the past 4 years and each time their hospitality has made the experience special. Many thanks go out to Ducks Unlimited, Marie and her husband Guiseppi, and Tom!

Peter signs the prints and Marie pulls them and stacks them.

A sheet of the 2010 stamps along with the new limited edition print.

My Website

Goldeneye Brood 7" x 5" acrylic $265

A female goldeneye protects her new brood on this Spring wetland. Predators like coyotes, foxes, and birds of prey abound in and around marshes like this one making the survival rate of young ducklings quite low at times.
My Website

Snow Goose 4" x 4" acrylic $225

A handsome snow goose rests peacefully on a reflective wetland. He has migrated from the Arctic and rests after his long flight on Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, which is where I saw him.
My Website

Tree Swallow 5" x 5" acrylic $245

This painting was originally intended to be just a stand of tules and their reflection but the composition just didn't quite work. So, I added this tree swallow flying over the pond in search of some aquatic insects to eat.

My Website

American River #2 24" x 48" acrylic on canvas

SOLD

This is the second painting for the commission utilizing bold colors and a more impressionistic style. This one portrays the bluffs near Lake Natomas in Sacramento. Look for more daily paintings starting tomorrow.
My Website

American River #1 30" x 30" acrylic on canvas

SOLD

This painting is one of two that were completed this week as a commission for the lobby of a law office in Sacramento. Lots of color and a looser style is what was requested. The paintings were a lot of fun and very freeing (the second will be posted tomorrow). I feel that these paintings pushed me as an artist and taught me something about the use of color and how colors can play off one another. I bought tubes of paint that I don't normally use like magenta and bright aqua green. Look for future daily paintings to subtly incorporate a bit more of a vivid color palette while still maintaining the realism.

My Website

Waxwings 4" x 4" acrylic $225

This pair of cedar waxwings was passing a berry back and forth for a few minutes this morning - just enough time to inspire a daily painting. I'm not sure if the exchanging was a mating ritual or not, but it was interesting to watch.
My Website

Greenwing Teal 4" x 4" acrylic

SOLD
The greenwing teal is the smallest of our North American waterfowl and it is among the handsomest. This daily painting portrays a male swimming calmly on a clear day.
My Website

Robin's Nest 5" x 5" acrylic

SOLD
A clutch of nestly snuggled robin's eggs.
My Website

Spring Goldfinch 5" x 5" acrylic $245

SOLD
This male goldfinch landed on the top of the autumn blaze maple right in front of my window yesterday. This time of year they are striking in their breeding plumage.
My Website

American Wigeon 4" x 4" acrylic $225

An American wigeon comes in over the reeds. This daily painting is a study for a possible federal duck stamp idea where the main focus is on the bird.
My Website

Ellensburg National

This weekend I will be traveling to Ellensburg, WA to participate in the 37th annual National Art Show and Auction which will feature the following attractions:

- Talented new artists and nationally-acclaimed artists display and sell original art and prints
- Quick draws and artist demonstrations
- Auction includes original artwork and quick draw pieces
- Over 14,000 square feet of climate controlled show space
- Free parking
- Food vendors - Three Peaks Outfitters of Cle Elum, WA will be serving delicious cast iron cooking for all to enjoy. Stop by the encampment for a unique and filling meal. Beverages are being run by Young Life of Ellensburg

My Website

Tundra Swan 7" x 5" acrylic

SOLD
A tundra swan stands peacefully in a shallow wetland. They are identifiable by the yellow tear drop just under the eye and they often intermingle with trumpeter swans.
My Website

Reflections 4" x 4" acrylic

SOLD
This daily painting depicts a black-necked stilt wading through some calm water. It is from the same reference I used for an earlier studio painitng a couple of years ago of two stilts moving through some calm waters, which you can see at this link.
My Website

Gray Jay 4" x 4" acrylic

SOLD

This daily painting is of a gray jay as he perches atop a fallen tree. They are common in Oregon in the mountains especially around campsites where they have been nicknamed "camp robbers". Another common name for this species is a Canada Jay. They can be tame enough to eat right out of your hand if you hold out a piece of food.
My Website

Long-Billed Curlew 5" x 5" acrylic $245

The final painting in the series is of a long-billed curlew - another species that can be found in sandy, coastal habitats.
My Website

Sandy Habitat Series - Set of Four $735

This set is complete and available for sale. Sold as a group of four for the price of three, $735, or individually for $245.

My Website

Pheasants out Front 5" x 5" acrylic $245

A pair of ringneck pheasant are out in front of the viewer. They are not running but are cautiously moving away and are easily visible with the shorter grasses. Although they are an introduced species, the distinctive plumage of the male pheasant makes it one of the more beautiful birds in our country.
My Website

Egret 5" x 5" acrylic $245

SOLD
On a cool, crisp morning a great egret cruises overhead. An unseen, newly fallen snow below helps subtly highlight the undersides of this magnificent bird.
My Website

Flooded Fields 5 3/4" x 8 3/4"

SOLD
A pair of horses traverse a flooded field on their way to drier ground. These fields are located just outside of Burns, Oregon and flood every spring. The area is a haven for waterfowl, which is why I was there. However, when I saw this scene, I had to paint it.
My Website

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.
My Website

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.
My Website

The Bachelors 4" x 4" acrylic

SOLD
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.
My Website

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.
My Website

Cardinal and Blossoms 9" x 12" acrylic

SOLD

A handsome male cardinal rests on an early spring apple branch.
My Website

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.
My Website

Distant Wolf 5" x 7" acrylic on board

SOLD

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

My Website

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.

My Website

Caught 20"x16" acrylic on canvas

SOLD
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.
My Website

Autumn Interlude 18" x 36" acrylic

SOLD
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.

My Website

"The Challenger" 13x26 acrylic $3400

SOLD

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.
My Website