Birds in Art September 5-7, 2014

I have now been selected nine times for Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum in Wausau Wisconsin. I visited the opening weekends in 2011 nd 2012 and this year I returned back. As usual it was a fantastic experience. Than you all!

Tanzania

November 15 – 23 I went to Tanzania for a safari trip.

It was my first time in Tanzania, although I had visited Africa before (Gambia and Morocco).

My main goal was naturally to see as many mammals and birds as possible and to collect a lot of reference material for paintings. I saw about 240 bird species and 34 mammal species.

Highlights of the trip were Tarangire´s rich nature with about 200 elephants seen.

A total of 75 lions seen during the trip, some of them very close to the car ( e.g. a lion pair walking on a grass wall just about 2-3 meters away from us in the Ngorongoro crater).

 Five cheetahs, two Leopards and two Black rhinos etc, etc…

I have now started with some watercolour paintings and more will come, and perhaps also some oil paintings.

“This is hot” (watercol. on Arches paper 58*38 cm)

“Fishers lovebird” (watercol. on Arches paper 38*58 cm)

“Can you spot the hyena?” (watercol. on Arches paper 58*38 cm)

“The big boss” (watercol. on Arches paper 58*38 cm)

“Do not disturb” (watercol. on Arches paper 58*38 cm)

New paintings from 2013: Female Eiders, Pig and rooster, Greylag Goose, Barn Swalloows (all watercolour on Arches paper and Female Eider (graphite and watercol.on Bristol Board). The graphite drawing was my first attempt to depict a bird with gtraphite pencils. Maybe ther wil be more drawings/paintings like this in the future.

Mammals and birds in my art

Sometimes I like to mix mammals and birds in my art. These two paintings are from late summer 2012. A red bull with barn swallows (both watercol. on Arches paper 38*58 cm)

More Wisconsin birds

American goldfich (Watercol. on Arches paper 28*38 cm)

Blue Jay (Watercol. on Arches paper 38*28 cm)

Sora and turtles (Karolinasumphöna och sköldpaddor)

Back from the Birds in Art weekend I started to paintWisconsin birds again. From the trip to W Mead area Sep 9 with the Wausau birder Dan Belter I had some reference photos of soras. We saw about 30 of them walking on water lillies close to the road. Back home I painted one of them. (Watercolour on Arches paper (58*38 cm)

Birds in Art-opening weekend Sep 7-9

Now I´m back home after visting the opening of Birds in Art 2012 in Wausau, Wisconsin. It was a fantastic experience (just as it was last year). I was so nice to meet all collegues and discuss bird art. Some "old" masters as Guy Coheleach and Robert Bateman were also there. I stayed until tuesday after the weeekend which gave me som extra time for birdwatching (101 species this year, 11 were new for me). Highlights were the tour around Mead WA south of Wausau with other artists, we saw a lot of birds e.g. American Bittern, Bald Eagles, Waders, sparrows and Belted Kingfishers. During the monday I visited Green Bay with the birdwatcher Mike Plant and his wife. A very nice trip with good birding.
Photos from Birds in Art opening:
Me at the museum.
Me and the legend Guy Coheleach.

Me behind Robert Batemans live painting session in the garden.

Yes-Birds in Art again!

In may I received the message- I have been selected for birds in art again. My 7:th selection. My tickets are booked so i will travel to Wausau September 6. My selected painting is the one with tthe Little heron and turtles, shown in the post below. I sketched and photographed this motif at the Horicon marsh, after the BiA weekend last year. This year I will stay until September 11, i hope there will be time for some nice birdwatching in the Wausau area, and maybe some new ideas for paintings.

Birds in Art submissions 2012

2012 Birds in Art submission completed. One painting of a Green Heron and one painting of a Thick-billed Lark
Årets bidrag till juryn i Birds in Art, en grönhäger och en tjocknäbbad lärka.

Some oil paintings- Några oljemålningar

Lately I have painted some small oil paintings. Two roosters (about 30*20 cm), and one young Grey Heron (about 20*20 cm.

Jag har nyligen målat en del i olja, t.ex dessa två tuppar (ca 30*20 cm) och en ung gråhäger (ca 20*20 cm).