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Showing posts with label desert wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desert wildlife. Show all posts

Marigold Desert Jackrabbit

Reverse glass painting of a desert hare for my new solo show Wild Reflections. The painting is done on the backside of the glass - backwards. The painted panel is then inserted into a shadow box frame.
It is available along with additional new work in the Wild Reflections Gallery HERE

Wild Reflections exhibit 11/2019 by Sue Betanzos 


Marigold Desert Jackrabbit reverse glass painting 11"x14" available HERE


I have been wanting to do this painting and have envisioned it for months. Now it is finished, as a saw it in my mind.
The painting is done with glass enamel paints in the the reverse glass painting technique, painted backwards on the backside of the glass.

Gold metallic paint was painted on the back to softly gleam through the hare's coat by intentionally leaving areas thin or unpainted to let the gold peak in a few areas. Glass is difficult to photograph, so I usually take my paintings to a local photographer, Wilson Graham for the best photos.

This photo was taken by me and does not do it justice. Later I will get a professional photo done that shows the gold highlights.

The painting is also used for one of the announcements as you can see!
It can be viewed in person at the Kirk-Bear Canyon Library Nov. 1-30.

Hares are such distinctive creatures with their beautiful long ears, large amber eyes. They are featured in many folktales and are connected to the moon.

This is a desert Antelope Jackrabbit with black tipped ears.
Gold metallic softly gleams through the coat which is why I call her MariGold. :)


Gila Dreams Mosaic Signs

This little Gila Welcome mosaic sign is on it's way to Philly to enhance the entry of a Herpetologist's home, where it will make a difference every day.

I'm feeling the itch to mosaic again and make another version of this most favorite subject, the Gila Monster. Another welcome sign or simply the beauty of this unique jewel colored animal.

Mosaic artwork can enhance an outdoor or indoor space as either functional or fine art. The beauty is that the medium of mosaic is very durable, dating back to ancient Roman, Greek with examples of Pompeii being the most known/seen.

Stained glass is my preferred medium, mixed with other glass, natural stones. Here is the same design using rich colors in a re purposed cabinet door with tempered glass.






Commissions for Gila Dream mosaics and welcome signs are available. Each is handmade, unique, made just for you.
Gila Dream - Glass Mosaic, ©SueBetanzos.com

Gambel's Quail Whimsy

Havng fun with this colorful little piece in colored pencil. Fanciful, bright and cheerful, this piece makes me smile when I think of these adorable birds.
Gambel's Quail, prickly pear, Variegated Fritillary butterfly.

Another colored pencil session at the Kirk Bear Canyon Library coming Saturday Feb. 13 or 20 in the early afternoon. Contact the library for more details :) Beginners and intermediate.

Gambel's Quail Whimsy - 9x12" colored pencil, Strathmore vellum paper



Gila Welcome

My series of welcome pieces. This mosaic is almost done. Face taped, ready for mounting.
The Gila art has been popular because these are such interesting creatures that are becoming rare due to urban encroachment.
The Gila Monster is a large beautiful lizard and the artwork is about life size.


As with all handmade work, each piece is unique ensuring one of a kind art. They can be custom ordered thru my website, or contact me here :)
At least one Gila artwork will be available at the Tucson Bird and Wildlife Festival Aug. 14 - 16 where I will have work at the Riverside Park Inn along with wonderful animal lectures, displays for nature lovers.

Gila Welcome mosaic in progress

Gila Welcome Mosaic, Sold

Gila Dream Mosaic, AZ BiCentennial piece, Sold

Tohono Chul Exhibit

Last night was the artist reception for the Tohono Chul exhibits Piece by Piece mosaics and Dia de los Muertos. As usual, it was very well attended with crowds of viewers jostling to view the artwork.
Tohono is one of my favorite nature oasis in Tucson and I always feel fortunate and privileged when my work is selected to participate in an exhibit.
Ran into several friends and met wonderful art lovers and artists.
Sold the Heart Song, yellow warbler and hope for another sale before the show ends October 20th.  I think the fact that Heart Song was featured on the Tohono web banner for the show helped :)


Face Painting for Feast of The Dead

Alright, here's a little side painting that turned out to be a blast. Did I say I love to paint? My canvas can be traditional, cookie or face/body.
These are a couple of the Many faces I painted for Tucson Botanical Gardens Feast of the Dead event this past Saturday.
The theme was Day of the Dead so it was mostly skulls except for grandmothers who just wanted something on their cheek or the little ones who wanted animals or something very simple.

I am grateful someone took these photos because the reality was that almost as soon as I got there (and I arrived 20 min. early) people started lining up to get their faces painted. My plans to have photos taken never happened because the line for face painting never let up and was at least 6 people deep for the next 2 hours.

There was another face painter there whom I never formally met because even though I arrived early - he was there Earlier already painting!
He had a large kit full of paints, sequins etc. and as it turns out, he is a professional face painter so his kit was very tricked out and he was very experienced. I brought some nice Snazzaroo face paints, my paint brushes, some wipes and water thinking I would have time to get fresh water, wipes etc. - never happened.

It was an intense two hours of painting and at the stroke of exactly 7 pm the other face painter packed up and left - quickly. He was already booked for another gig and knew as long as he stayed, people would keep coming.
I stayed an extra 30 minutes to finish the little ones that had been waiting and one lovely Mariachi girl, then I packed it in too. 

What a fun event - I was buzzed on adrenaline driving home thinking wow, I had a great time AND got tips! Actually it was the other painter who put out a tip jar and people just started giving me tips too - which made me smile All the way  home.   A bit of extra cash to keep my Risa in cans of her favorite doggy food - LOL :~D

I hope TBG keeps me in mind for next year. Then I will be a bit more prepared for the crowd, with more glitter colors (love using them!!) sequins, glitter paint. As it turned out I did pretty good with eight colors, two glitters, a water bottle, some wipes and a handful of brushes. Plus when people found out what I paint for my day job, dogs/animals, they asked for my card.

Painted lots of skulls - calaveras. All the while in the background there was a fabulous Mariachi youth band which I loved and could have listened to all night.

Keep your eyes open for next years Tucson Botanical Feast of the Dead event. Music, food, sugar skull decoration, presentations and Face Painting "~)

The next event will be the Luminaria Nights December 7, 8, 9 from 5:30 - 8 pm. A lovely evening at the gardens full of twinkling lights, music and treats.

More adventures in Porcelain Painting


Desert Kit Fox porcelain painting (click to enlarge)
Another experiment in porcelain painting as I explore this new media. It will be added to the que to fire at the end of this month. All of the plates will eventually be put up in the cookie store as decorative serving plates.

Foxes are such adaptable creatures. In the UK they are common urban wildlife much as the coyote is in the southwest. In the Tucson, AZ area kit fox is rarely seen, being mostly nocturnal. This plate painting is of of a San Joaquin kit fox which is endangered due to habitat encroachment. They are California residents.
Though wildlife Do Not make good pets due to their wild nature they are born with, there is a story of a man who rescued an injured red fox that is so touching! Watch the story of Cropper The Fox  HERE.

Almost Finished

Now that it's about done I discover a few things I want to change before I put the mosaic tape. Once the tape is laid on there is no going back.
It is a one time deal.
There are a few things I have learned the hard way for next time.
Can't wait to see this done - it will be beautiful!

Half Way There

Almost there. Still have to do the touchy part of  applying clear tile tape to the face, Carefully lift it off, turn it over, Carefully peal off the sticky paper it is on, then Very Carefully apply it to the round substrate that will be prepped with cement thinset.
It's a one shot deal from the time tile tape is applied to the face to the actual finishing. 
This technique is called the Double Reverse application method in mosaics and can be very touchy. I am both nervous and excited - I love challenging techniques.
I chose this method after reading about it in Sonia King's Mosaic Techniques and Traditions and Sandra & Carl Bryant of Showcase Mosaics use this method exclusively for all their public art installations. Their work is beautiful.
They also work in stained glass mosaics and after reading a forum on their technique I decided to use it for this project because of the extreme complexity of design and shading. 
It sure would be nice to have them here for tips - but here I go!
(the black piece of glass by the ear is for lettering, not part of the design)

Wildcat Wilber

 Another day of succesful glass cutting and I have to say Wilber the bobcat looks pretty good. The rest of his ear and neck will be completed today.  Finishing the lettering should take of couple of marathon days of cutting and fitting.

One of the many things I love about glass is the gleaming jewel toned depth that is possible with the infinite choice of colors and textures.
No two glass sheets are alike and choosing glass for a project is a really fun and personal part of the process of my glass mosaics.

Wilber's fur, with all of the shades and texture is all from ONE sheet of glass. In art, as in life, it's what you do with what you have that makes the difference.
As a mostly self taught artist, the discoveries made in the learning process have opened unexpected doors that I would not have otherwise found. These 'discoveries' (usually in the wee hours of the night) have enriched my work, added the depth that comes from that Aha! moment when that 'door' opens and I find myself in the Land Of Possibilities - exciting!

It's In The Eyes

Still working on this beautiful mosaic and I Love the way the cat has turned out - especially the eye (my favorite part!). It's the eyes that are the key to an animal or human artwork - that "look".

For the eyes I had the perfect one inch scrap of glass the exact shade I needed.
Every scrap of glass is saved for these "in case I need it" and eventually they get used. Same for the nose - scraps of the perfect shades of rose needed.
 Saving the letters for last since that is the least fun part for me.

Watching the piece come into focus and develop as I paint with glass is one of the most satisfying part of mosaics.

Challenging my abilities with new materials, sizes and shapes is exciting because like a story I am writing I know the beginning and the end - the middle "how" part is the discovery.

So in a sense they are picture stories written in glowing jewel colors and textures - each vibrantly different and unique by process as well as subject.

Well Hello There!

Hello out there! Seems like time is flying by way too fast. Lately I average about 5 hours of sleep, but feel pretty good. Must be because I am so excited about my new cookie store MoonLight Cookie Art, the new article of my work in Tucson Lifestyle this May - the BEST birthday present ever - and planning for a nice road trip.
The article in Tucson Lifestyle lists this blog site here instead of my main website due to a slight mix up, so here is a flyer with my main web address and work samples - I will post a few times over next month.


Click to enlarge full size
Still working on a mosaic that I love and will have finished in a week. Also now that Easter is over Mother's Day is coming up and I will have to set cutoffs for orders for cookies. I was swamped for Easter - this time I will have more control. Also working on a small mural project that, is due at the end of this month! But I wouldn't have it any other way - I love working in different media and ideas always flow!

Arizona Centennial


Guess what?! Out of 225 entries, my mosaic Gila Dream was one of the ones selected for the Tohono Chul Park Arizona Centennial exhibit! Yay! I am thrilled that one of my favorite pieces will be on display. Tomorrow is the reception so I will be there with my little name tag to meet everyone, mingle and of course snack on the bites catered by Trader Joes.
Can't wait to see the rest of the fabulous art. I always love the anticipation of seeing what is in the rest of the exhibit!

National Geographic BioBlitz 2011 Wildlife!









This weekend I attended and participated in this year's special event BioBlitz sponsored by National Geographic. Each year a different national park is selected by National Geographic for an intense two days of collecting, identifying and recording the flora and fauna of that area. As the environment is always changing, adapting, the natural world is adapting and evolving new species from fungi to new insects, plants, animals.

Saguaro National Park was selected for 2011 BioBlitz. It was an honor to have three of my wildlife pieces chosen and displayed in the visitors center of Saguaro National Park at this amazing and special event. I can only hope that through my wildlife artwork the public will gain an appreciation of the beauty and frailty of our natural world and above all the message that everything is connected in a vast skein - a network of life. Every thread that is broken weakens the whole.

Get ready for some serious glass mosaic - I am also working on a large mosaic sign for Tucson Wildlife Center. They are a non-profit organization who's mission is to rescue, rehab and release wildlife that has been injured or suffered the impact of urban encroachment. Let's face it - we already know that wildlife habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate and with it the bio diversity.

My goal - that my artwork will help change perceptions. Next time people look at one of my bat paintings, or Gila monster mosaics their perception of that species will change from "Eeeww, ickk!" to " Oooh, beautiful, fascinating animal!"



Backyard Friends!

Posting the front cover of a children's coloring book I did few yeas ago thru a grant with the Tucson Botanical Garden because I just signed and gave a copy to a very dear little friend who wants to write books someday.
It's a story about how to attract wildlife into the garden.
The book is bilingual with story by Rita Magdaleno, illustrations by me and my parents did the spanish translations, isn't that cool?!

x

Peace and Love to All

Forgive me readers - it's been weeks since my last post with all of the recent activity. St. Francis is popular with pet lovers and in this commission he is accompanied by: two Jack Russell Terriers, one lab, one beagle, one bunny, two meadow larks, one roadrunner, and one quail - whew! Plus his usual bird friends.
It took a while with all the detail and dog research but really like the piece. Still need to retouch it (take out the glare), but had to share!

Illustrated Children's book




The other day at the library I was researching and came across a little book that I illustrated for the botanical gardens thru a grant about three years ago. It's a bilingual children's book about planting a garden to attract wildlife. Also a coloring book. I thought it had faded after it's first printing. It was such a small project that was not really promoted in the gift shop.
So imagine my surprise when I came across it/ME. I burst out laughing and pulled the copies they had and literally checked myself out - ha, ha. So now I can be found under call number 625.9525

Glass Nature series



Working on the nature series for the desert wildlife flora and fauna. They include little bats, kit fox, raptors, mice, coyote, lizards and more. After finishing the paintings and mosaics, sections will be cropped for the little glass jewelry.
My next series is already on the drawing board - endangered species, both plants and animals. While I work Risa periodically comes to check up on my progress, ask me to take a break and come out and play. Sometimes I can take five and I do! Then I get back to it, refreshed :~)
Starting my local wholesale to establishments that resonate with my work and ideals. Botanical gardens, Wildlife museums, zoos.

Zebra Gouache Mini



After doing a few miniatures I am addicted! This little zebra needs a fix - did not do a preliminary sketch and the back legs need to be adjusted for hooves!
Practice is so important and I am truly enjoying all the experimentation. The media is gouache, which is an opaque watercolor.
Zoos are a great place to practice study sketches and the San Diego Zoo, CA is one of the finest! It is where I took pictures for this painting.

Kit Fox


Here is a secretive little kit fox peaking out from a mesquite - finished! She is part of my Starry Night series for the upcoming shows. A small piece 9" x 12".  These little foxes have adapted well to urban life as it has encroached on their environment. Being mostly nocturnal they  can be seen scavenging around trash cans, yards etc. It's amazing the way  much of the wildlife has adapted in spite of the often thoughtless human society. Birds, bats, coyotes, squirrels, raptors, bobcats etc. can be seen everywhere.