Up at the quack of dawn

Up at the Quack of Dawn (c) 2019 17.5x13 $1825.00

Through the years I have hiked and photographed this beautiful trail in Pasadena, CA called Lower Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish. The trail leads you under the magnificent Colorado Boulevard Bridge, which is the only local bridge listed on the National Register of Historic Places, built in 1913. 

Just south of the bridge is where a small pond resided brimming with countless Mallard ducks and their adorable ducklings!

The Devils Gate damn, just north of this lovely area is where the problem began this year for the Lower Arroyo Seco area. A four year renovation project launched, plowing down 70 acres of enhanced habitat for wildlife due to LA County neglecting this area for years, allowing non-native and invasive plant species to thrive. Their plan is to remove 1.7 million cubic yards of sediment, with 400 trucks moving through this area per day for the next 4 years. It is said by many that the amount of sediment removed will harm a delicate ecosystem housing endangered and sensitive wildlife...yup it certainly has!

With the abundance of rain we received this year, it caused all that loose sediment and soil to flow down and fill up that pond where I took the photo for this drawing. I hardly even recognized the area when I went there a few weeks ago...one lonely drake left by himself, all the others had fled apparently. 

So, this drawing I created has great meaning to me more than ever and symbolizes what we lost. 

This is what it looked like weeks ago, just a small waterway going through...once the weather gets hot I'm not sure even this will be there. And certainly no more ducks or herons will be there.

My great hope is that 4 years down the line this precious area will be restored and waterfowl and other native wildlife will once again return. I really miss those ducklings!

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**

Hoarding disorder

In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.

~Robert Lynd~

Birds Eye View by Kathryn Hansen (c)2017 10x13.5

These red-capped acorn hoarders live in the ancient oaks in my charming little city nestled in the San Gabriel Mountains north of LA. 

I can easily spot them in the winter months perched in bare treetops. 

There's even a granery tree on the hiking path I frequent that is just riddled with acorn-filled holes up and down the trunk.

Besides their parrot like squawks giving them away, the steady drumming on the trees echo through the trails as well.

They are one of my favorite birds to see and hear out in nature!

 This drawing is Dakota approved! 👍

7 of my best drawing tips!!

I talk so much about these tips on my Facebook business page in the comment section I thought I'd just gather them here in one easy to read post!!!

It's really all about training yourself to develop observational skills!

1) Drawing upside down and sideways. I am always rotating my piece as I am drawing. What this does is stop my brain from recognizing familiar objects and just drawing it the way it is. This helps develop my ability to see only shapes not preconceived images of eyes, noses, etc.

2) Negative space. This is the space around and in between the forms...the space that surrounds an object, which helps define the boundaries of the positive space. My eye is seeing shapes and space so my drawing is accurate.

3) Values. This will create the illusion of a solid, well defined form. See this recent post about why values are sooo important in drawing.

4) Negative drawing. It's not the same as negative space. Negative drawing is a method of drawing around your lines leaving the white of the paper. It's a very controlled totally intentional way of drawing.

5) Keep your pencil point sharp. I know this sounds inane but without a a very sharp point I wouldn't be able to apply such fine details to my drawing. Plus it keeps all my lines very consistent especially for solid backgrounds.

6) Draw everyday. I make drawing a consistent part of every day. Yes it takes discipline and constant and rigorous practice but I also keep getting better at it because I put in the time. Chuck Close once said “Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work.”

7) The mirror trick. Seeing a reverse image of my drawing helps show me any mistakes I've made. I will typically hold up my reference photo next to my drawing and immediately I can detect any value or form issues.

8) Bonus Tip! Don't let your cat lay on your artwork, this may subject your work to paw prints, fur and scratches!!! who am I kidding...go ahead it's too cute to stop!

Set a spell, take your shoes off

and meet the Clampetts and their feathered friends!!

My newest drawing in progress. 

I've been wanting to draw this trio for some time now, basically since I got back from Kenya 4 years ago, so I guess it's finally their time! I changed things up a bit, added a few oxpeckers and egrets to the scene for interest. 

As some of you may know I was fascinated by all the birds perched on the mammals there, so I tend to always add them to my work.

Oxpeckers can be invasive birds to elephants, but they also reduce the amount of lice, ticks, and other parasites living on elephants' skin and hair. Egrets also eat parasites on the elephants backs but mostly they eat insects that are stirred up from the dust and grass as elephants stroll thru the towering grasses. 

I am hoping to get through all the wrinkles, folds and grasses in this piece in a timely manner...elephants always seem to take me a bit longer to draw...shooting for the end of this week! 

So y'all come back now, y'hear!

Harry and the annual fundraiser!

This will be my 7th year creating a drawing for the California Wildlife Center in Malibu CA for their annual fundraiser in September. I can't even begin to tell you how honored I am that I get to do this! I swear every time I see an animal released back into the wild (almost 5000 last year) by CWC I get a lump in my throat, I am so thrilled by how all these amazing staffers and volunteers have helped yet another animal in Southern Cal!!!

On the Lookout   Kathryn Hansen (c)  2014  5x7

check out these 4 heartfelt short videos about the work CWC does...they are beautifully created!

*All photos courtesy of California Wildlife Center*

"I've always been mad about cats."

~Vivien Leigh~

Sammy  Kathryn Hansen (c) 2013  8x10

up next on the drawing board are two 8x10 commissions, Beaucoup, a sweet old dog and "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named"...because he's a gift for Christmas. but i CAN tell you that it's a very adorable kitty!

and Pete the Pelican has made it's way back to the board as i soo want to enter him in an art exhibit in January, but the application is due early December. if you remember there's a surprise element to Pete that i'm super excited to get to! 

ohhh...if there were only more hours in a day!!

Just watching my cats can make me happy

~Paula Cole~

(me too!)

Coonie Bear (c) 2013 Kathryn Hansen 5x6

"Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty" 

~Albert Einstein~ 

Tucker Razzing (c) Kathryn Hansen  5.5 x 10.5