This is a Bittern. I’d never heard of these birds before, but they are interesting… First off, they stretch their necks upward when they’re trying to hide, because the stripes along their necks and torso appear to melt into the tall grasses, helping to disguise them.
And secondly, their bird call is deep and gurgling, almost like a glug of water down a drain. It far over the wetlands they call home, and stands out because it’s so low in register.
We have them here in Humboldt County in northern California along the Redwood Coast. This bird was requested by a patron who stopped by my art booth this last year.
Illustrated Bittern in standing water, against a blue paper background with darker gradients at the top and bottom. Surrounding the bird is a halo of light, as well as a Bokeh lighting effect in yellows and dusky greens.
I'm not online much, but if you've visited my studio in person recently, you already know that I've been PAINTING!
I have a nice grouping (5+ Large works on canvas) , and will reveal the latest/greatest paintings at this month's FINAL FRIDAY at the PENDLETON ART CENTER IN CINCINNATI-Ohio
30 January 2026 - from 5-9pm.
-hope to see you there!
--i'll share online after that-for those who can't make the trip
artist sitting in his studio surrounded by colorful paintings
He is holding his studio mate-a small, yellow terrier (rescue) dog
the bottom of the photo says 'New Pantings - 30 January 2026'
"The Fox and the Woodcutter", a fable attributed to Aesop.
I feel this piece is very appropriate to today's world.
Essentially, the fox is running from a hunter and asks a woodcutter permission to hide in his house.
The woodcutter says yes, but when the pursuing hunter asks him if he’s see the fox, he says no while at the same time pointing ferociously toward the fox’s hiding place within.
The hunter doesn’t get it, and moves on. The fox pops out and starts to scamper away and escape. The woodcutter says, “Hey, I saved your life and I get no thanks?!?”
And the fox says, “Your actions didn’t match your words. I will not thank someone who silently tried to kill me while their mouth spoke lies.”
This was done entirely in Procreate, with no generative image assistance at any part of the process. You can watch the speedpaint video here: https://makertube.net/w/dSqHw7fyPNeuuKGn2TyzvK
Heavily textured illustration featuring the shadow of a man in a doorway looking at a fox who is looking back at him. Also has two portraits of a man and a fox staring at the viewer. A symbolic “trail” with a primitive sihouette of a hunter wielding a bow skirts Art Nouveau-styled three-dimensional filigree framing the entire image. A silhouette forest is at the top, backed by a sunset casting light on a snowy foreground. Heavily textuerd canvas in colors of browns, greys, tans, periwinkle blues, and flame oranges.
My recent favorite -- I used to struggle with this paper size, but now I do OK. This is near the end of the trail I'd never been on. Something felt a little off; hard to explain. Felt like I wasn't supposed to be there... later I learned that it was the end of the ditch canal that is named Last Chance Ditch. #MastoArt#pastelartist#trails#renonevada#humanmade
A vertically long pastel painting of a deserted path along a power line. There are two fallen wood posts, and rabbitbrushes are blooming.
My recent favorite -- I used to struggle with this paper size, but now I do OK. This is near the end of the trail I'd never been on. Something felt a little off; hard to explain. Felt like I wasn't supposed to be there... later I learned that it was the end of the ditch canal that is named Last Chance Ditch. #MastoArt#pastelartist#trails#renonevada#humanmade
A vertically long pastel painting of a deserted path along a power line. There are two fallen wood posts, and rabbitbrushes are blooming.
This was a pine tree that survived a wildfire near the state border. This went to a woman whose husband recently went through an accident and subsequent rehabilitation at the same hospital where my husband received his cancer treatment. #MastoArt#PastelArtist#humanmade#arttherapy
Looking up at a tall pine tree that's standing against blue sky. Textured.
This was a pine tree that survived a wildfire near the state border. This went to a woman whose husband recently went through an accident and subsequent rehabilitation at the same hospital where my husband received his cancer treatment. #MastoArt#PastelArtist#humanmade#arttherapy
Looking up at a tall pine tree that's standing against blue sky. Textured.
Reno Food Systems and its park farm in Reno Nevada is very close to my heart. Working to preserve the farm land with a mission of food security for the local community is an amazing cause. I visit the farm often, especially at the end of the season.
This was painted live at their fundraising event.
An abstract composition features a blend of pastel colours with a dreamy effect. The intricate patterns create the illusion of a bearded face on the right side.
My partner
@magicalgrrrl and I have 12 hours to raise the remaining $40 to keep us inside tomorrow, and will have to continue to raise $100 daily JUST FOR SHELTER until we can secure housing.
This struggle is taking an immense toll on my health, and I truly hope you’ll consider helping us survive. Please boost, and if you can financially support in any way, thank you.
Yesterday on my livestream I painted a little Douglas Squirrel at the suggestion of a friend, who was helping me come up with regional subjects. I like it!
#HumanMade. I use Procreate for all my work, then make greeting cards and limited edition prints in-studio.
Illustration of a Douglas Squirrel, munching on something in its paws. Behind it is a paper texture with gradients at the top and bottom, as well as a bokeh lighting effect and a double halo of light. Predominant colors are orange, brown, black, grays, and soft teal blue.
Hardly anybody drives along this road, so as I walk along it (and even fewer people walk along this road), my chances of running into someone, or being run into by someone, are low.
K8, our late German Shepherd, loved walking in this park by a deep canyon. Come to think of it, maybe she loved it because I loved the view so much.
(I found a deep crease on the paper an hour into the painting. Oh well, a freebee paper... Then I realized that it actually looks like a small trail. A scale is wrong, but it's actually not that bad!) #MastoArt#pastelartist#renonevada#humanmade
A pastel landscape painting in vertical format. Sloping hillside covered with golden grasses in the foreground, some rabbitbrushes, and a shadowy tree covered hills in the background. A house with its roof just receiving the sunlight.
I’ve been making local-themed pieces lately, referencing #HumboldtCounty. There’s a lot here that makes it unique: the number of rhododendrons everywhere, the redwoods, the ocean, the victorian architecture… There is no lack of visual inspiration!
A heavily stylized and textured Art Nouveau illustration featuring a rhododendron bloom in the top left corner, a beach and some redwood branches. Colors are predominantly pink, blue, and green.
I’m leaning into making “bad art,” rather than not making art at all. So I present to you a watercolor sketch of Bangkok, Thailand. The day I began this was in the middle of burn season, the air was thick with smoke and the sky was shining a hot pink through the sunshine and pollution. The shapes are not perfect, but #art doesn’t have to be perfect. So what’s your current #wip#WIPWednesday #humanart#humanmade#badart#betterthannoart
A sketch of an apartment building with uneven lines, the Bangkok city line is visible on the right side, foliage scattered between, the sky is pink and the sun is glowing brightly. Down the left side is a palette of the watercolor pencil colors used to create the scene. Thanks for checking it out and not making fun of it.
Today, I’m sharing that I have a pack of Steller’s Jay stationery papers available on my Goimagine storefront.
I’ve been trying to push the idea of getting offline and connecting without tech, and I think maybe sending letters on pretty paper can be a way of doing that. A nice pot of tea, some soft music… Once in a while it could be a nice thing.
A photograph of multiple sheets of paper stationery with a Steller’s Jay illustration on them. Additional features include blue pastel textures and glowing halos of light on the papers, which are arranged on a white background.