acrylic painting 8X10 inches
Painted Bunting finally finished!!!!!!
American Kestral Pan Pastel Painting
We see these Falcons hovering over our pastures and diving down at awesome speeds, doing flips and dives attacking their prey. They are flashy and beautiful and fun to watch. I am working on this pan pastel painting to add to a series of Falcon paintings that will be part of a fund raiser for last Chance Forever a rescue operation for all birds of prey…
Flying Egret
“What in the world is she doing in there?” The horses are looking through the window into my studio wondering why their breakfast is late……it’s not that they NEED to be fed. It’s just comfort food to compliment their gourmet pasture salad that they were bred to thrive on. A carrot or two and a scoop of sweet feed is what keeps them spoiled…..So, in the meantime I’m trying to complete at least one pastel painting a day to get ready for an art show/benefit that we are planning for our friends at Last Chance Forever the birds of prey rescue and rehabilitation center in San Antonio……
Time to go rescue my starving horses………
Escape To The Beach
This is my interpretation of the way the Pelicans must feel during a major hurricane. We love going to Rockport and Port Aransas and of-course I fall in love with all the birds.
watercolor painting
Longhorns Make Good Mamas
They are always watchful of their babies and very protective. The coyotes and other predators hardly have a chance with the way that these Mamas aggressively guard their babies. We love to see the Egrets around the cattle and they are as beneficial as they are beautiful to watch. They follow the cows and eat the insects that are disturbed by the footsteps of the livestock.They especially love grasshoppers.
The head honchos of the pecking order have the prime spot closet to the cows. They will even pick ticks off of them which is a big help in eliminating tick borne diseases in cattle.
Con Alas Rotas
Pobresito Bujo! Poor little owl. She was orphaned as a brancher. One that was a fledgling that could not yet fly. Due to permanent injuries, she is unable to survive in her natural habitat in the wild, but she is not in pain and serves as a ambassador for Last Chance Forever a rapter sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates all birds of prey, including eagles, hawks, vultures, owls, falcons. The sanctuary is a 501c non profit organization that is always in need of donations. We are planning a benefit in the fall. For more information and assistance in the event that you should find a rapter in need of help. Their web-site is:
www.lastchanceforever.org
This did it for me…..Seeing a baby vulture that thought she had been rescued and gone to heaven when Last Chance Forever answered the call that brought her to the sanctuary. A hunter entering a deer blind was startled by huge flapping wings and shot the mother without realizing that she was protecting her nest in a dark corner of the shelter. He discovered the little baseball sized ball of buff covered down in the nest shivering and scared to death. His kind nature led him to change his plans for the day and seek out someone to help give this little rapter a chance.With our involvement through the years with John Karger, the master falconer and veterinarian technician who started the rescue center, we have been able to acquire a respect and awe of these birds as well as the staff that dedicates hours and hours to their well being. Of the 150 to 300 birds of prey that are brought into the center each year, from 65 to 80 percent of them are able to be released back into the wild. Melissa Hill is the primary veterinarian with the gift to perform delicate surgeries that few animal physicians would even attempt.
The birds are not given names and are not treated to respond to humans as pets. All attempts to ready them for life in their natural habitat are insured. Those who have suffered permanent disabilities that would prohibit their survival in the wild, yet are not in pain, are used in extensive educational programs throughout the year. Children and our ecology are especially important to John and Melissa. These programs have educated over 500,000 people each year since the inception of the Rapter Rescue.
Not one to ever spoil an animal whether furry or feathered, I can’t help but seek out a few that I have unavoidably bonded with. They have names, but I just whisper them to myself…..
Ducks Unlimited
watercolor painting Mallards Flying
Hey Mom. Look at us! She must be so proud. Three boys and a girl! Mama duck does it all by herself. All we can do is paint their picture and laugh at them when they take their first few summersaults trying to land for the first time. We love it when they make their first full loop around the house. “Babies flying!” Tom says and our world comes to a halt as we sigh in awe of how thrilling it is to see our ducklings in formation for the first time, every time. It may be four, six , eight or more. Sure they are a target up there, or when they are swimming in the tank, but aren’t we all. Faster, stronger, tougher. A duck’s gotta do what a duck gotta do.
Waddle on, friends….
Will Fly For Food
I forgot how wonderful our Canon 300 mm lens is, until I switched from the 70 to 210 zoom to take pictures of the Falcons that were showing off for us. They were the opening act before the fireworks display that we had later the night of the 4th of July. They knew that they would be rewarded with a treat left on the fence post…..
The Operation Was A Success, but
The patient is spoiled rotten!
When your much loved pet is sick or injured you would do anything to insure the best possible care and a speedy recovery. But would you or could you care for about 150 to 300 orphaned or injured birds in a year? We are not talking cute little parrots or love birds. How about hawks and vultures and other birds of prey? Up until 1971 a bounty was paid for shooting a hawk. They were getting a bad rap from farmers for killing chickens. Eagles have been known to kill sheep, but to wipe out a whole species has proven to be detrimental to the planet. Through the educational efforts of Last Chance Forever, a raptor sanctuary, the public is gaining knowledge as to the benefits that these birds contribute to our environment. Demonstrations by LCF held throughout the United States provide a means to enlighten 500,000 people each year to the role that these raptors play as indicators of our ecological health. Master Falconer and Veterinarian Technician, John Karger founded the organization in 1978. Each year due to the care these orphaned, sick or injured birds receive, 65 to 80% of them are able to be released back into their natural environment. Surgery and medical care is provided for these birds by Melissa Hill, the highly skilled veterinarian for LCF. Raptors that are rescued, but sustain injuries that prohibit them from surviving in the wild, are used as ambassadors to increase awareness of their virtues to the public. During one of the exhibitions conducted by the staff of Last Chance Forever, we were treated to a demonstration which included a Red Tailed Hawk, a Harris Hawk, a Bald Eagle and a Great Horned Owl. On another occasion we were able to see a Lanner Falcon and a Barn Owl. Superstitions and myths surrounding owls were dispelled for me, the first time I looked into the eyes of this beautiful female barn owl that had been rescued as an orphaned owlet. She appeared healthy and strong, but malnutrition that she experienced before her rescue had caused a deformity that would prevent her from flying and surviving outside the sanctuary.
Information and advice for anyone who needs assistance in aiding wildlife of any kind can be found at their web-site Lastchanceforever.org. They primarily provide care for Birds of Prey, but are able to direct you to organizations that will help other species of birds and animals.
Our Canon 5D cameras are always ready to capture the abundance of wildlife that we see out our front door. We are working on a series of photos of a pair of Crested Caracaras that have been visiting our front field and have been bringing their new fledglings to meet us…
