Although I do not see myself as an “animal artist”, I cannot deny my love for drawing and painting animals.  Here is a little more about some of the animal-themed works in the 2023 Holiday Sale.

These studies of various tropical fish were made from life at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, one of my longtime favorite haunts and places to draw.

This study of a moral eel, emerged from its hole, breathing steadily, was made from life at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma.  Studying fish from life would be difficult underwater, but aquariums make it possible to draw these animals directly.

Since childhood, sharks have been some of my favorite animals, especially my favorite to draw.   Aquariums like Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium make it possible to study sharks from life, underwater.  These drawings were made from life, watching the sharks and jacks swim.  I love sharks.

These geese were painted from life over several sessions in May of 2023, observing them from the fields of Gasworks Park in Seattle.  It was a rewarding experience - I had never before observed geese (including goslings) so close before.  Staying calm, at one point roughly 30-40 geese surrounded me completely, the babies nibbling the grass around my board and supplies.     Often the non-migratory Canadian geese in Seattle are seen as a nuisance, but I see them as inherently beautiful, especially the subtle colors in their violet gray plumage, or the way their white undersides perfectly reflect the warm green of the grass in the sunlight below.

Cheers,

David