A sitting duck

Sittin' in the Mornin' Sun (c)2018 11.5x10.25 graphite pencil

A few years ago my sister and one of my best friends flew to WI to attend Barbara Jaenicke's pastel workshop at the beautiful Dillman's Bay Resort in Northern WI!

While slowly making my way to class one morning from our cute little log cabin I spotted a funny looking duck out on the pier in front of the classrooms. I had never seen a duck like this before, so my attention quickly diverted over towards her and with camera in hand I sat with her for quite awhile, missing out on part of the morning session...leaving my friend and sister wondering what had happened to me in such a short distance!

At the very end of December 2017 I started to draw Myrtle the female Merganser from WI, trying to get her complete in between commissions with a deadline in my head of April 15th. Not for tax day of course...but to enter her in the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's Birds in Art Exhibition. 

You see, I use to live about half an hour away in Plover WI so this was a pretty big deal even then. In 1994 I was even invited by a friend who's air brush painting juried into the show, to the closed artist reception, meeting in person Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders, Richard Sloan, just to name a few of the master artists there! Ever since that exhibition, I had always wanted to enter a piece of art in it but was too intimidated to even try. That is until now!!

Now I feel I am skilled enough, experienced enough, and feel worthy enough to be in the same exhibition as the great wildlife masters I have admired and been SO inspired by through the years. So I tried, and if I don't get in I am ok with that as at least I finally mustered up the courage to go for it this year. Next year I will be even more confident and ready to enter again!!

**stay tuned for my next post about how I designed and composed my drawing of Myrtle**

Chubby unicorns

“If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. Because humans want to save things that they love.” 

~Steve Irwin~

It's hard to believe over 7 years have gone by since I was in Africa and yet I have never drawn one of the rhinos I saw there! I guess the elephant (I've drawn 7...so far) was the animal I deeply connected with while on safari...and then the lions (drew 5 of them)!

It wasn't until my friend Shaney told me how much she loved them that I took a closer look. So I began following a few Rhino Conservation pages on Instagram: Rhinos in Africa Foundation, Rhino Man the Movie, Save the Rhinos and Rhino Republic, and I fell in love with them too, just as my friend had. 

So, of course I now have about 3 I want to draw!!

I started these white rhinos for a demo I gave last weekend at Blicks Art Store in Pasadena, CA. It's not the typical way I start a drawing, but since it was for a demo I wanted to have various parts started so I could talk about my technique. But now that has come and gone and I can really get cracking...in between my commission work that is...and get them done for a few upcoming exhibitions. And if it sells, as always, a portion will go to one of the groups below to help in their fearless efforts to save the rhino.

And here is the educational portion of this post!!!

The white rhino is the largest of 5 different types of rhinos. It's mouth is wide for grazing and is the friendliest of all of them. Once thought to be extinct, they now thrive in protected sanctuaries (we saw them at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy) but still a fraction of the estimated 100,000 that existed in the early part of the 20th century are now gone due to loss of habitat and poaching.

Several conservation tactics have been taken to prevent the rhinos disappearing from the earth. The northern white rhino have guards 24 hours a day watching over them at Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Image from: https://imgur.com/gallery/Q1xuD

If you feel moved to help, you can give to Lewa Wildlife Consevancy or Ol Pejeta Conservancy. And if you give $50 or more I will send you a matted print of my rhino drawing...just send me the proof and I will put you on a list when it's done. Thanks!

https://www.instagram.com/kathrynhansendrawings/

Hideaway

"Nature goes about her quiet business and brings us greatest pleasure.” 

~Fennel Hudson~

Hiding in Plain Sight (c)2017 13.5x5.75

Bob Scratchit is my latest colored pencil drawing I created for an upcoming western show.

The photograph I worked from is credited to Corina Roberts, a wonderful photographer that lives higher up in the mountain from my small home. She had posted a few photos on Facebook shortly after my own encounter with a bobcat. 

On our way up the hiking trail that day my dog Josie excitedly ran over to a tall knotty pine tree. I just assumed she was chasing a squirrel up the tree, but to my utter astonishment it was a bobcat not a squirrel in that tree! The first bobcat I had ever seen in the wild!! Josie and I hung there...about 4 feet away for at least 10 minutes or more watching and chatting with him. He just laid there, as he is in my drawing until some other people jabbering obliviously away scared him off his comfy branch. Unfortunately I had left my camera at home that day so I only had my memory of the encounter to remind me of that amazing experience until I saw Corina's photograph, which she so kindly gave me permission to use.

The entire time I was drawing Bob I felt like I was reliving that unforgettable 10 minutes with my sweet pup!!

The pine tree where Josie and I encountered the bobcat.

My beautiful dog Josie farther up the hiking trail

The hiking trail in Angeles Crest National forest

Bob's progress collage, drawn in Polychromos, Pablos and Luminance colored pencils on Stonehenge paper.

I did not get a full stamp of approval from Dakota this time!!

I'm All Ears

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

~Jane Goodall~

I'm All Ears   (c)2017   10x13.5   Sold

We immediately met this giant fellow when we arrived at the "Elephant Bedroom Camp," which is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Samburu Kenya.  They loved our president at that time, so they named this resident elephant Obama! To the dismay of the establishment, guards and workers we got a little too close for their comfort, so they had to frantically wave fallen palm fronds to keep him back while we snapped a few photos then retreated to the safety of the lodge.

Once common throughout Africa, elephants have been severely depleted due largely to the massive ivory trade as well as habitat destruction. To help, you can contact your local representatives and express your support of the international ban on ivory trading. 

Spots on my drawing board

Larry, my newest colored pencil drawing is inspired by my time in Samburu, Kenya. 

Our guide spotted (!) this handsome leopard in an acacia tree brimming with richly colored birds.

Leopards tend to while away the hours up in trees. Their stunning spotted coat camouflages them, making them blend in with the leaves of the tree. 

We sat tight with this leopard for at least an hour until he dropped out of his perch. We were then scrambling, along with a dozen other tourist vehicles for the best place to watch him.

Leopards are ambush predators, so they crouch low to sneak up to their prey and pounce before it has a chance to react.

Leopards are solitary creatures that only spend time with others when they are mating or raising young.

Pretty soon he ambled out of view into a dense part of the woods, we took off then to find a smattering of elephants down the road!

Observation Post, Kathryn Hansen  7x10  (c)2016  $800.00

Secretive and elusive

Black Rosettes  Kathryn Hansen  (c)2015  7x10

4 star guide

This warbler is the perfect guide to lead this herd of elephants to the Ewaso Nyiro River in Samburu!!

Tour Guide  Kathryn Hansen  (c)2015 8x10

And these were our awesome guides while in Kenya!

 My sister and I were resting on the deck of our luxurious tented cabin on stilts in between safari outings when I spotted this herd!! Some of these elephants just wandered through the camp at night, a few even trapped my other sister in her tent until the guards were able to shoo them away! 

It was another amazing experience in a long list of unbelievable surprises and adventures!!!