I just started a miniature painting of a mourning cloak butterfly, nymphalis antiopa, last night. I have had an interest in painting a variety of butterfly pieces for quite a while. I believe I made some similar comments on the website a number of years ago. Many ideas and very little time. :/

I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities to study so many different species of butterflies, both exotic species and native North American butterflies, but just haven’t gotten around to painting one of them yet. Sometimes I stew over ideas for paintings for a long while before they materialize.

The idea for this painting originated from coming across one of these butterflies sunning itself on some gravel on a path I was walking on. I had never seen a living mourning cloak specimen before, though this part of Minnesota is in it’s habitat range, so it interested me quite a bit. After a period of about 15 minutes of sunbathing, it disappeared.

Some of my visitors to the website and blog have expressed some interest in butterfly artwork. If anyone has any comments, suggestions, etc. — I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Please drop an email or leave a comment post in the blog.

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• Commission Progress – Red Fox Kit Miniature Watercolors
• Barred Owl Sketch

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I went for a short walk the other day and saw an adult American bald eagle soaring overhead. It was soaring fairly low, which surprised me a little. There are quite a few of them that appear to be nearby residents and frequent the local area throughout the year. Their numbers seem to be growing, which is wonderful.

I believe the Bald Eagles are beginning to migrate down the Saint Croix and Mississippi rivers, as they always do this time of year. A trip to Wabasha during the migration is quite an experience. I could watch the bald eagles fish in Lake Pepin for hours, and often do when I’m able to make the trip. Sometimes they fly up to perch in the trees along the edges of the lake, letting us get a closer look at them. There are usually crowds of people and cars around the birds that have situated themselves so close to everyone.

During one migration a number of years ago, one of my birding friends spotted hundreds of bald eagles, with a strong pair of binoculars of course. I was able to see between 50 and 100, all of which were close enough to photograph or sketch. It was definitely an inspiring trip, though it was cold, as it usually seems to be during fall migration. Everyone is bundled up in layers and layers of clothing, and still chilled with numb faces and no feeling left in their fingers. The joys of birdwatching. As frozen as everyone is after an outing, no one regrets the trip.

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• American Bald Eagle Watercolor – Work-in-progress
• Florida

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I started a new owl painting. This piece is a barred owl and is a little larger than the last owl I painted. It is only a sketch in this post, but the color version of it is beginning to take shape on my easel and should be completed soon.

I really love painting all species owls, but Barred owls are one of my favorites. I have been able study quite a few of them in my visits around the country to various wildlife rehabilitation and education centers. I am always drawn to the dark eyes of the barred owl. They seem to be immediately captivating, and often appear to be black when they aren’t in direct sunlight.

There are very few owls in North America that have dark eyes. The Barn Owl, Flammulated Owl, Spotted Owl, and of course, the Barred Owl. Most of the owl species have the more common golden iris, that is also very striking in it’s own way.

Occasionally, I have been able to see the Barred Owl in the wild while on a nature hike. I was able to spot one during a day trip hike in the Everglades a few years ago, though the Barred Owls in Florida do look a bit different than our northern Minnesota variety, primarily smaller and thinner from my observations.

I have been able to listen to them fairly regularly here in Minnesota, though I haven’t been able to spot one of them in the wild yet. Quite often there are two of them calling to each other during the winter, courting.  See the comment post for a Barred Owl audio clip.  Enjoy!

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• Screech Owl Painting (Sketch)
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I recently received notice, from the (MPSGS) Miniature Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C.’s ‘73^rd Annual Exhibition of Fine Arts Miniatures’, that I was awarded the “The Manny Sullivan Memorial Award for Excellence”, second in show, for my watercolor painting “Bashful – Mute Swan”. This year’s miniature show consists of 712 artworks entered in the international exhibition that will be held at the Strathmore Mansion in North Bethesda, Maryland.

This came as a complete surprise to me, and I am very pleased and grateful. I haven’t been entering the exhibition for a very long time – only the past few years or so. I visited the exhibition the first year I was juried into the exhibit, attending the Patron’s Preview, which was very nice.

I haven’t been to too many traditional miniature society exhibitions, primarily because most of the large and respected societies in the United States are located on the coasts, such as Washington D.C. And Florida, and I can’t peel myself away from my easel for too long.

The Miniature Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers Society is one of the oldest in the world, the oldest active society in the United States. The MPSGS society was founded in 1931 by Alyn Williams, Founder of the RMS, the Royal Miniature Society, in London, England. The organization is highly respected in the field of miniature arts.

I should also add, the MPSGS miniature art society was chosen to host the “Third World Exhibition” which was held at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. in July of 2004, which featured some of my artwork as well.

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