Birds in Art 2018

The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum that houses the Birds in Art Exhibition is even more beautiful from the last time I saw it, before I moved to California in 1998. I snapped this photo on Sunday morning when it was so peaceful after all the hub bub from the activities of the past 3 days. They have an amazing sculpture garden surrounding the museum.

I don't think I'll ever be able to express just how thrilling it was to walk into the museum on Friday afternoon and see my drawing there!! This song kept going through my brain. I was feelng a bit overwhelmed until I spotted my art/drawing hero all by himself in another room looking at a painting..so I immediately went over to him like a donkey to a waffle!! Nope, I was not going to miss this opportunity of a lifetime to meet Terry Miller in the flesh!! I have been stalking following him and his work for more years then I can remember...I am one of his biggest fans. But he caught me off guard when he knew my name...me!!! We then walked over to my artwork and we talked...well, I listened and hung onto every word he said!! Some of those things have resonated in my head since...I will never forget them. That was truly one of the best moments of my life!!! Can you tell how much of an art nerd I am yet?

Another thing that touched my heart deeply was that SOO many of my family and friends were there, from all over...CO, IL, MN and every corner of WI to see me and share in one of the biggest experiences of my life!! I am truly and amazingly blessed!! I didn't get pics of everyone but my heart grew 3 sizes that weekend from seeing everyone!!!♥ 

The 4 day event was FULL of activities...one after another so it totally zoomed by. At the luncheon I felt like I was at the Oscars for artists!! Each meal was delicious, each reception was SO fun, the staff and volunteers were above and beyond wonderful...especially Allison Slavick, who I ended up being with a lot at meal time...we had some very wonderful chats!

Check out the Master Artist of 2018, Cindy House's work, it's simply stunning...I've never seen pastel work like hers!! And she is very funny...gotta love that!

Part of the Sunday morning activity for the artists was joining Jane Weinke, the curator of the museum, in listening about and checking out the permanent art collection in the basement storage rooms...which I have to say was pretty darn awesome!! When do you ever get a sneak peek like that in a museum?!!!

For 2 1/2 solid days after I got home from my trip, I was SO inspired that I went through tons of reference photos for next years entry! It was such an amazing experience that I want to repeat it as many times as I possibly can...feeling more determined then ever to keep growing as an artist so I can do it all over again...for many, many years...if possible!!

Home tweet home

Rocky shoreline, dramatic scenery, salty breezes, cool temps. A breathtaking home for a clever brown pelican like Nigel Pellie, who lives unconstrained with dozens and dozens of other seabirds on a private beach in Palos Verdes. Nigel is one of the most recognized birds with his long neck and iconic throat pouch. He is sleek and well fed...an ace diver...those fish never see him coming. He spends most of his carefree days fishing and preening and is known as being very social in the flock he travels with. But there is more to Nigel then just that. Nigel is a collector. Seashells, feathers, colorful pebbles and small trinkets left behind by local beachcombers. He stashes his treasures undetected beneath a large misshaped sepia colored rock close to the shoreline. No one the wiser. Yes, his days are full and quite satisfying, a life he feels is well lived indeed.

Looks hoo's talking

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhoot (c) Kathryn Hansen 10.25x14

Roosting quietly in an ancient forest tree, Whoolio Talon is completely camouflaged by his brown and white stripidy plumage. Even his large soulful brown eyes and yellow bill seem completely unnoticed in the dense foliage. He and his friends are deeply absorbed in a game of Marco Polo...their own modified version of blind mans buff in the woods. Swiveling his head, he listens to the rich baritone of his friend who is "it" hoot out..."who cooks for you...who cooks for you." Whoolio was born to play this game as he is rarely "tagged"...his feathered friends highly regard and respect him for it. He is in a class owl by himself.





Despacio Owlington, Whoolio's BFF owlways seems to be "it"!!

A duck to water

Months after I was back home after my merry trip to WI, looking over a 100 plus photos of purely Myrtle, I thought she just might be the right one to draw to enter in the Birds in Art Exhibition down the road. 

After all I had soo many interesting poses of her as she was very animated that morning on the dock. But eventually after working out the cropping and composition I decided to have her in just a simple pose looking out over the lake. 

The inital design I worked out felt very pleasing to me. Well balanced, where the viewers eye could travel around and through the drawing but was never thrown out of it. 

I made the center of interest the water below the dock. That is where the viewers eye enters, with all the dark tonal variations and large abstract shapes that lead the viewers eye right up the pole of the dock to the merganser.

The rest of the drawing I feel supports this center of interest with sharp and soft edges and value contrasts. With the absence of color I wanted to make sure that these other supports held up just as well. 

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

I truly enjoyed composing and drawing this piece and feel it's one of my stronger pieces in my portfolio of work. I hope to do more ducks down the road using the same design principles as Sittin' in the Mornin' Sun.

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/

Pawtraits

Time spent with animals is never wasted!!

I've written about the subject of photographing your animals before but it bears repeating. To see my first post on this subject click here. And I'll say it again, I couldn't create great portraits if I didn't have great reference photos! I know it's not easy but it's not impossible either...and can be a really fun time with your pet!!

You don't have to have special equipment but if you have a good camera, pull it out and dust it off! Never use your flash tho, instead get your pet outside in natural morning light. If that's not possible then in the brightest room you have.

Do your best to focus in on their eyes...get at or below their eye level. This adds an intimacy to your portrait and captures the soul of your sweet animal.

Also think about what it is that sets your pet apart from others...or what is unique to their personality. For my cat Shortie, when he sleeps or sees me he tilts his head a certain way.

And don't take just one photo and call it done...I can easily take 50 shots at one time, then whittle it down to 1 or 2 really great shots. Set up a few sessions to catch them in different moods. And above all be patient with both your pet and yourself.

Try these few tips and see if you just can't get that perfect shot off!!