All across the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta are southern Magnolia trees. The trees grow large, hairy seed pods which open to reveal bright, red seeds inside. I used pearlescent inks, mixed with white ink for opacity, to create the sparkling hairs and parts of the leaves. I have to thank my son Jon for …
Magnolia grandiflora Seed Pod
2011 - 12" x 9" - Mixed Media (Acrylic Colored Ink, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Great Expectations
2000 - 18.625" x 13.5" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
“I want the carrots. I can smell the carrots. Those carrots must be for me. When are they going to give me the carrots? Don’t I look so pretty sitting here waiting for the carrots? GIVE ME THE CARROTS!!!!”
Grasshopper Portrait
2003 - 16" x 12" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
This was one of many grasshoppers frolicking around our front bushes. The markings and tiny hairs all over the creature were interesting to observe. I’d never looked quite so closely at a grasshopper before. Shown at the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL
Argiope with Egg Sack
2003 - 16" x 12" - Mixed Media (Acrylic Colored Ink, Acrylic paint, Gouache, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
This seven-legged Black-and-yellow Argiope spider lived in some bushes near our house. It was fascinating to watch the spider catch insects, and later grow fat with her eggs. The egg sack she built seemed to glow in the early morning light. This spider is quite stunning, with her furry head and dramatic black and yellow …
Columba livia Fountain Chick
2010 - 16" x 12" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
This is my third painting of birds at a fountain in Southern California. The Los Angeles Audubon Society tells me this is a Rock Pigeon, formerly known as a Rock Dove. The genus and species are Columba livia. In other photos I took that day, The Fountain King is on a higher perch, looking down …
The Fountain King
2010 - 12" x 16" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
There’s a hierarchy at a Coffee Bean Café fountain across from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. This is a portrait of the Fountain King (at least one of them). He sat with regal grace over his watery throne – until he deigned to give someone else a turn. The feather textures, the …
Carlos Alberto de Los Angeles Ortiz del Toro
2010 - 12" x 16.5" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
At the Coffee Bean Café below the Tuscany Apartments in Los Angeles, there’s a very pleasant outdoor seating area with a stone fountain. The splashing fountain gets many feathery visitors each day. This bird had an impressively aristocratic bearing, as he enjoyed a typical sunny day in Southern California. Shown at Art Around the Corner, …
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