Moths of Arizona

 

Just before the Holidays I produced another photo collage of Arizona Insects, bringing the number of available posters to four.

 

This time I chose another huge group - Moths.  We have thousands of species here in Arizona. They are so attractive that collectors come from all over the world. I see is no ethical problem with collecting. Insects, like many other animals, may be declining in numbers, but not through collection, but through the loss of habitat climate change.  Collectors can actually help us to know more about insects and thus are invaluable to conservation efforts. We can only effectively protect what we understand.

Template and corresponding species key come with the poster

My moth poster is supposed to raise awareness on a very basic level: I selected large, colorful species to show that moths are just as beautiful as butterflies, a group that so far has a much greater appeal to the general public. So I left out the rare ones and the micro moths (which are so intricately pretty that they deserve a poster of their own) and went for bold patterned Northern flags, huge Black Witches and soft, slow-flapping Silk moths.  It worked, the poster was a hit from the release.

The size is again 18 in by 24 inches, on semi gloss heavy paper.  They are high quality: printed on my own 12 color Giclee printer.  The result is pretty spectacular. Each poster costs $35 plus $8 for shipping in the continental US (6.1% tax, AZ only). The other 3 can also still be ordered.

To achieve a more elegant, less poster-like look, the prints are also available without the text.

A series of Cranes to begin the year

'Harmony'  Watercolor 15 in by 21 in $ 650, framed 24 in by 30 in $ 750

This year I had a show in early January and no time yet to see the wintering cranes around Willcox Playa and Whitewater Draw close to Tombstone.

'Symphony'
Watercolor 11 in by 15 in $ 375, framed 16 in by20 in $ 450

 I refreshed my memories by looking through slides and photos from previous years. The result are my first watercolors of 2016

'Crescendo'
Watercolor 11 in by 15 in $ 375, framed 16 in by20 in $ 450

Cranes taking flight into the morning sun. The spray of drops and the edges of the birds' wings catch the light. Otherwise the birds are blue shadows against the warm colors of the reflections on the shallow water that hardly covers fields of old cornstalks.

'Duet'
Watercolor 11 in by 15 in $ 375, framed 16 in by20 in $ 450

 

In the evening, a pair of Sandhill Cranes against a hillside rich with the jewel tones of sunset and deep blue shadows.

Prints and Originals are available.For print prices please see this page

A simple design that received much attention

Cranes often retire for the night to swampy, flooded areas where they are save from predators. So at dusk and dawn bird watchers are treated to silhouettes of the graceful birds against the pinks and oranges of the rising or setting sun above the mirror calm water. Photographers know where they can expect the best light and line up early, often when it's icy cold.

I used one of these photographs for reference. But I regrouped the birds and tried to achieve depth by pushing one group into the back ground. I also gave the background the deeper, warmer colors that I remembered but that the camera did not capture.  Mostly I payed attention to the rhythm of graceful curves of necks and cascading feathers.

Cranes III 'Waking up' Watercolor, matted !6 in by 20 in  $395.

The resulting painting was quite simple, but it got amazing responses on Facebook, from both my birding community and my watercolor network.  Sometimes less is more.

Cranes Taking Flight

Cranes II Taking Flight, matted 16 in x 20 in, original available, $395

Staying with the theme of last week, here is my second painting of 2016. Again, the Sandhill Cranes of Whitewater Draw in Arizona were the models, but the water reflecting the morning light is the real challenge here.

 Step by step, this watercolor was developed from light to dark and liquid frisket was applied to allow the washes to flow as undisturbed as possible. When the mask was removed lights in the background were overpainted to push them back. I then used a wet brush to lift some of the darks from the water in the middle ground and to soften some edges.

The original, and also prints in all sizes are available

First new watercolor of 2016: Flying Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw. original matted 16 in by 20 in, $345, available

When the setting winter sun turns the hill sides orange-red, the shadows appear in an amazing, cool turquoise blue. The shadows on the gray cranes appear a rich cobalt. I love playing with those complimentary contrasts. 

The original and prints in all sizes are available

Happy 2016 and a new insect poster

This is number three of my Arthropods of Arizona Collection - and I have some more ideas based on the photos in my sock drawer. For these posters I use photos that I have taken over the last ten years. All are of living insects - if possible I photographed them on white background, but some are also liberated from very colorful natural backdrops. Some legs and antennae needed to be rearranged or even graphically replaced...

On this poster 28 families (29 if you count Phymatidae) are represented by 73 identified species. A black and white template and the species list organized in taxonomic groupings comes with the poster if you order one. So this one has much more info than the other two - I have more practice now. The poster are 18 in by 24 in and cost $35 plus shipping. You can order here (send me
a message).

 Here are the first two, I just reordered them from the printer, so I have a few of them in stock, too.
To order, please send me an e mail to mbrummermann@comcast.net

Best regards Margarethe