Photoshoot over the Beartooth pass at dawn.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

This was one of the views today approaching Yellowstone. :)  I have been doing some sketching today as well.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

This past weekend my family and I held our annual spring wildlife art show at the Saint Croix Carpenter Nature Center.  Our art shows are held in the spring and late fall at the nature center’s Trailside Lodge or Visitor Center (this show was in the Visitor’s Center).  This year the University of Minnesota’ Raptor Center  held their spring raptor release at the nature center also - releasing a rehabilitated American bald eagle, a broadwing hawk, and two red-tail hawks back to the wild on Saturday.

These snapshots of our art show are during one of the quieter moments on Saturday.  Thanks to everyone that dropped by to see us!! (The artwork in the second photo are all original works - we had a number of larger originals on display this year as well.)

(This is my mobile studio at the show. )

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

This is the sketch of a blooming lupine that I made for a new miniature painting.  I started this piece to work on during our show this past weekend at the Carpenter Nature Center. 

The flowers are from one of my trips to the Grand Teton National Park to study the wildlife and plants (and Tetons ).  There were so many different wildflowers blooming during that trip, the landscape didn’t seem real - it was so beautiful!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I’ve been commissioned to paint a small fox kit painting - a portrait.  These are three sketches I made in preparation for the painting, though I might just paint all of the poses.  The painting is for a very nice lady that just loves red foxes.

I had the wonderful opportunity to actually hold this little guy - so painting him is always special to me.  It was so much fun to be able to get that close to him - he was just adorable! (Actually, he started to get a little sleepy and doze a little because he was so comfortable. ) 

I’ve been really lucky to be able to get up close to animals and wildlife and study them like I have.  (Even bottle feeding a litter of hungry wolf puppies once….that was really a unique experience! )  It has made a world of difference in the inspiration that I draw from in my work.  (A huge thanks to all of you that have helped me have these opportunities!!!)

I don’t post myself on the blog too often, but I just enjoyed my time with this little fox so much, I couldn’t resist (sorry).  (Umm… my mouth is open because I’m talking. )

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

A photoshoot on a little less than 3 hours of sleep entitles you to a few breaks, right?

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

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.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Everyone needs a little refreshing inspiration.  :D  For me, it’s spending time in an undisturbed natural area or being up close and personal with wildlife that lives there.  I just love those deep wooded areas of Montana and Wyoming, and often find myself thinking of them while working in my studio.  Thankfully, I am able to visit them frequently for inspiration.

I just sent out a collection of paintings to Moose Horn Gallery located in Paradise Valley - near Livingston, Montana for their grand opening next week.  Though I am unable to attend their grand opening, I will be out there a little later this year.  The gallery is hosting an exhibition for my family in early July, so I will be able to get out into the woods and study for some of my future pieces, as well as doing a little painting in the gallery.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The natural wilderness is filled with extremely beautiful and breathtaking views, habitats, and creatures.  Nonetheless, it is a wild and rugged terrain that is treacherous.  Many of the beautiful creatures that I study to render in my work are predators.  Because of this, there is always a certain danger to study them — whether it is in a zoo, on a wilderness safari, or with a trained animal.  But danger or not, there is no magnificence like anything I have been able to observe anywhere other than in the spirit of wild creatures or their untamed environment.

Being raised in a family that has a bond with the outdoors and the environment, I have always been taught to respect it.  In travels and adventures to capture the essence of wildlife and wild places, my family and I have been in a number of close encounters, including being charged by bears, stalked by tigers and leopards, knocked off our feet by wolves, grizzlies that are a bit too close to the hiking trail, and most recently, attacked by a cougar that plays a little rough (teeth in the base of my neck was a bit too far for me). 

I am always striving to represent the beauty and delicacy of nature in my work, but I also hope the significance of each species is conveyed as well.  Nature and all of the wildlife that resides in it is to be taken seriously and should be valued.  Each small part of our world makes up the delicate ecosystem that holds our lives in balance.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I’m eagerly looking forward to doing a little wildlife study. :D  I have been spending quite a bit of time glued to my easel lately.  I try to schedule "inspiration" into my routine, such as studying wildlife or nature.  It becomes very difficult to paint creative or inspirational pieces when you are unable to go out because of deadlines and the pressure to produce new work .

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!