30 Sketches Projects I-VII

Day 30 - yahoo!! Don't get me wrong, I love the 30 Sketches Project but I miss painting! You might have guessed as much with me sneaking in paint into my sketches. This is a Graylag Goose in flight. I glued watercolor paper (scraps I might add) to a piece of wood measuring 9"x24". I used watercolor, graphite, charcoal, pastel, and gesso . I plan to cover it in a delicious layer of resin. I've covered a charcoal/oil drainting ..? with my favorite resin, envirotex lite and it held up. Curious to see how the watercolor paper will hold up with the resin coating. My bet is that it will warp. Experiments, experiments.

Here is another mixed media piece, or as I like to refer to these half paintings/half drawings... draintings . This is a Laughing Kookaburra . The image came from a most amazing place. Today I went to Bookman's , my favorite used bookstore, to hunt for a few bird books. I stumbled upon a program booklet for the Jurong Birdpark in Singapore. From the pictures in the program, it seems to be a wonderland of bird goodness. I went to their website and there is a dang Pangolin on their homepage! (refer to Day 23 posting for relevance). I must go there immediately!

I know...I know, I said I was going to finish up this sketch project with the "Many vs. Few" series but I'll tell ya, today I wasn't feeling inspired in that way. I really had a want to do a mixed media piece. So I pulled out the gouache, watercolor pencils, pastels, and charcoal and went to work. Endangered this baby blue jay is not, but the ominous caption read, "This baby blue jay may not live to see a second summer." Geez, I hope this little guy didn't hear that.

Here is a sketch that can also serve as an oxymoron. I give you...a baby giant anteater. This little guy will soon live up to its name. Adult giant anteaters can reach between 5 and 7 feet in length and weigh from 40-100 pounds. Due to habitat loss the giant anteater faces a difficult future. Conservation efforts such as the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in Nicaragua are vital in order to save these amazing creatures from extinction. For the past four years the Saint Louis Zoo has been working with the Reserve. The Zoo has really great information on the giant anteater as well as some amazingly adorable footage of a baby and mother. Click here to see my inspiration for this sketch!

Day 26...4 more days! I am not sure if this Ring-tailed Lemur is aware that there is indeed a baby chick on his back. The last few sketches will follow the endangered species/baby chick format. I've been referring to them as the "Many vs. Few" series. When I finish this installment of the 30 Sketches Project, I shall drag out the others in this series and put on the finishing details. I have a series of endangered bird paintings in progress which I plan to exhibit and give a portion of the proceeds to an avian conservation organization. But why not do the same with this series of sketches. Possibly thinking of having prints available for these. hmmmm....

So, since I haven't finished my ring-tailed lemur sketch I felt it necessary to finish a sketch today. This is another baby pygmy hippo. I used everything I could get my hands on in the studio: pastel, charcoal, gouache, pencil... I've never experienced wanting to spend multiple sittings on a sketch. This is the one that has changed that (along with the other endangered/baby chick sketches). I am truly enjoying working on this one.

Excuses, excuses... I started this sketch this morning with plans of finishing it after work. I worked late, had to go to the store, yadda yadda blah blah....I didn't finish. But will tomorrow! This is a Ringed-tailed Lemus and baby chick.

I present to you...the Pangolin (and baby chick of course). I know, this critter is amazing. To see it with your own eyes click here .

This is Monifa having breakfast. She is a Pygmy Hippo calf that was born at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year. It had been 23 years since a Pygmy Hippo had been born at the zoo. Her trusty chick is making sure she polishes off her bowl so she can be big and strong. Click here to see a video of Monifa when she was 3 weeks old.

Did you know that the endangered Three-toed Sloth moves so slowly that algae actually grows on its coarse fur? Sloths are extremely awkward when on land but are graceful swimmers. They sleep from 15-20 hours a day! Did you also know that I am newly obsessed with them? That is probably pretty obvious. This sketch is keeping with the endangered species/baby chick theme. I am not quite sure if these are preliminary drawings for a series of paintings or if they can or will stand on their own.

The emerging baby crocodile may look menacing but don't underestimate this little chick, he can hold his own. Again this sketch, like yesterdays, is about placing the ever abundant common chick with an endangered species such as this American Crocodile. Today I came across the most amazing website ever!! ARKive has not only amazing photos and video of all of your favorite critters but really great information. I came across animals I never knew existed. I also officially fell in love with the three-toed sloth.

I have a series in the works in which I depict endangered birds. Okay, how can I make it a bit more interesting and a little different from my usual avian works? hmmmm ... The endangered Bactrian Camel is the only true wild camel that still exists. These herds survive in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and China but their total population is less than 1000. Researching the Bactrian , I came across the image I used for the camel in this sketch. Even though the caption labeled him as a Bactrian Camel, I am not so sure. Bactrians have a thick shaggy coat. So I am using artistic license and saying this is indeed a Bactrian (with a haircut). Atop his head, so delicately perched, is a common ole' baby chick. Baby chicks are treated as ornaments during the Easter holiday. There is no shortage of these little guys. I bet I could walk into 7-11 and pick up a dozen. I like the juxtaposition of placing something so abundant with something that is in jeopardy of losing its very existence. I...

I've been trying very hard recently to balance my life: work, art, home. I want to make sure nobody or nothing is neglected but at the same time give 100% to all three. Art always seems to win out. I am sure it comes across as selfish and I've come to the conclusion that I must be pretty difficult to live with. I decided to put the hostile energy I was feeling at the time into this sketch of an American Crow. I really enjoyed working on it. I would like to look at these "butcher paper studies" in a more thoughtful light rather than only seeing them as practice.

Black-winged Stilts have wicked long, spindly legs and for that I love them.

This is a female Gambel's Quail. I remember as a little girl in Texas watching families of quail carefully crossing the dirt path on one of my "nature" walks. The parents always had a sense of urgency to get the chicks across safely. I respected them for that.

Well, I am halfway through with the 30 Sketches Project II. I am really enjoying it and I can picture this project popping up throughout my life. I am so amazed everyday when I flip through my bird books in search of a subject for my daily sketch. There is a crazy amount of birds in this world. I couldn't possibly draw all of them if I tried! This is a Buff-breasted Flycatcher, yet another species that I never knew existed. Its habitat is the open mountain woodlands of S.E. Arizona.

A mere 50 Attwater's Prairie Chickens live in the wild. They are native to the coastal prairie land of Texas and Southwestern Louisiana. Development has eradicated their fragile habitat. Through efforts of places like Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas these interesting birds are returning to the wild. This Saturday Fossil Rim is celebrating its 25 th anniversary by hosting an outdoor concert and benefit called Bandanas , Boots, & Bison. I am donating this sketch to the auction that will be held that afternoon.

Webster's gives the definition of gregarious as fond of the company of others; sociable. The Tufted Tit is just that. This species frequents woodlands and gardens, taking care of pesky insects and is cute to boot!

I thought I would try something different. I've never sketched/painted a migration pattern. A more detailed series would be fun I do believe.

I give props to the Brown Pelican...the only pelican that dives from the air to catch it's food.

This is Penny. She belongs to my pal, Lani. It was wicked slow at work today so I sketched her.

I thought Texas weather was unpredictable but Arizona monsoon season is a force to be reckoned with. The winds knocked two baby birds out of our palm tree in the front yard today. I know it is morbid but I knew the moment I saw them that I had to sketch one for my daily drawing and I grabbed the camera . I sketched him as gently as I could.

I don't know much about the Rufous Hornbill . I usually try to do a little research on each bird before I begin my sketch but I was so interested in this guy that I had to draw him right away!

I've just returned from my camping trip and brought this back with me. This was the view from the tent. Water, trees, and critters oh my! I usually don't leave the confines of my studio when I work so it was a welcome change to sketch in such an amazing setting.

Coming to you straight outta the sketchbook...ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present the Cutthroat Finch. Good bird, bad sketch.

When in doubt, sketch baby Rowdy. If you are not familiar with Rowdy, he is my muse...the reason for it all. I've been feeling the need to "get off the ride" for awhile, if you will. The environment seems a bit empty. I need a recharge in the form of some travel and new experiences. Wish me luck. I have some irons in the fire that will hopefully pan out and give me some much needed inspiration and energy.

This is a sketch of my Grandma's porcelain baby cardinal chick.

The Shoebill has a big spot in my heart. It is a quiet, solitary bird from Africa. This pastel and charcoal sketch is of a Shoebill chick. I think my heart would break if I saw this little guy with my own peepers.

Did you know that the burrowing owl is endangered in Canada? Its true. Here in the States they are considered a "candidate species" by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This means that if efforts are not made to save them and their habitat, they will one day be on the endangered species list. Visit The Nest Egg Art Project to learn a little more about these guys.

I am told that Pekin Nightingales are lovely birds with bright personalities and extremely active natures. So says Hank Bates and Bob Busenbark , the authors of Introduction to Finches and Softbills . I would put them in my imaginary aviary. (The birds, not the authors.)