Detail from Tree House on Lake Painting

Sometimes I like my under paintings as much, if not more, than my finished paintings so when Illustration Friday announced this week's topic "Atmosphere" I thought I'd submit a detail from a new 36" x 36" oil painting in process that seems to fit the theme. 

Finch on Exhibit at Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael

My 10" x 10" oil on canvas "Finch" painting will be in Falkirk's 2010 Bi-Annual Juried Exhibition from 9/10/10 through 11/13/10.  Opening reception is Friday, September 10th from 5:30 to 7:30PM.  More on the show can be found here:

California Blue Jay Map Art

I've become very fond of the blue jays in my backyard.  The other day I set up my camera and took a series of photos of them at the bird feeder.  When I heard about a new contest at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts on "The Map as Art," I used one of my bird photos as a pattern and digitally repainted it with the bay area section of the map of California.  I wanted to try some map art since buying the book by Katharine Harmon on contemporary artists who explore cartography.  One of my favorite pieces in the book is a map collage titled "Swimming" by Brazilian artist Joao Machado.