2015 flutters to a landing

KiteStudies1 — White-tailed, a.k.a. black-shouldered kite, preening at Moss Landing. It crossed its wingtips in front of its tail, politely. Pencil-drawn through a scope in a Lana sketchbook.

It was a year when plein air painting got a lot more fun, which I think is worth noting, and when I found new beauty in old and familiar places.

ElkhornSloughUplands — Chaparral uplands just above the quiet tidal estuary of Elkhorn Slough. The old stomping grounds were just as nice as ever, if not more so. Pastel on Colourfix sanded paper, 10″ x 9 3/4″.

I had a decent year of painting, exhibiting, teaching, drawing, writing, and learning how to breathe underwater (first step in learning how to draw underwater- a longtime desire). I returned to South Carolina, painted around New Mexico and California, did a pile of drawings of a wonderful Brazilian model, almost enough to call it a collection.

There was less blogging, but a little more tweeting (@DaMotmot).

Resolutions? More pastel painting. More bird sketching. A book. Learn to dance.

3 Parakeets — Best thing in 2015: Shadowplay, my painting of crimson fronted parakeets, was accepted into *Birds in Art,* and then acquired for the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s permanent collection. An amazing honor and career high note. Oil on canvas, 24″ x 30″ If you’d like to hear me talk about this painting (and why the jungle is like a big plate of scrambled eggs), please go here.

Hope you had an outstanding 2015, too.

Wishing you a prosperous, peaceful, and above all, happy new year.

And meet you back here in 2016.

4 thoughts on “2015 flutters to a landing”

December 31, 2015 at 10:33 pm Reply

TR says:

WOW!! BIA permanent collection!! Thats huge!!! I am in Australia for New Year’s, suffering 75° temperatures and a 4 mile beach – never really knowing how to decide between looking out at the dolphins or looking up at the lorikeets. Decisions decisions. Decidedly, I miss you!