I remember painting a skull in high school and being proud of how it turned out. I still have the piece and although it is not good by any measure of talent that I am aware of, it did teach me something. I learned that I love odd things, odd art, and not the traditional "beautiful images". I collect odd things. I have little bones I have found while out hiking, dead insects behind glass, egg cases that were washed up on the beach, and seed pods, oothecas, all the odd and beautiful items of nature.

The trip to the Harvard Museum of Natural History has proven to be a source of inspiration for my latest works. I loved the shadows, the bones, the washed out color and austere look of the displays. I love everything in a row, lines of the same item over and over. Squared off images.

The photograph that I took that inspired the painting.  I changed the yellow tones to blue and altered some areas to be more appealing to my eye. — The photograph that I took that inspired the painting. I changed the yellow tones to blue and altered some areas to be more appealing to my eye.

Painting the Barred Forest Falcon skeleton was a challenge. I have never done more than a skull before and there were so many moving parts and shadows. I used creative license in some areas to push the shadow or highlight, but overall I am proud of how this one turned out. Lets hope in 20 years I am not looking back and wondering what I was thinking.

Work in progress.  Darks and lights going in and blocking out the image — Work in progress. Darks and lights going in and blocking out the image

Finished Barred Forest Falcon and Kestels