Happy New Year

I hope you have a safe and very Happy New Year!

My family and I traveled to the Lake Tahoe area for the Christmas Holiday and have returned after a wonderful vacation. Check back soon for the first blog post of 2010!
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Robert Paul Galleries

I am very excited to announce that Robert Paul Galleries in Stowe, Vermont will be representing my artwork in the New England area. Stowe is a 200 year old ski town that thrives year around in a picturesque part of our country. Robert Paul Galleries, whose main emphasis is on realistic art, showcases both local Vermont artists as well as artists from around the world. Two of the paintings that will be exhibited in the gallery are pictured here. The first is Evening Waters that features a flyfisherman on a misty, evening trout stream. The second is Icy Ride featuring a pair of hooded mergansers cascading down a wintery tributary. These birds love fishing in open moving water when everything else is frozen. For more informationa and more paintings and prints that they will be carrying feel free to click on the website link above.
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Audubon Wild Arts Festival

It's been a crazy couple of weeks with the Thanksgiving holiday and lots of family in town. And just before that was the Audubon Wild Arts Festival in which I set up a booth to exhibit my work. The show was a success and, hopefully, a sign of things to come as the crowds were large and people were purchasing artwork from everybody. Despite the rainy weather, there was an energy at the show that I haven't seen in a while and it was definitely a welcome sight. Here are a few pictures of my booth before the show started on Saturday morning.

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Collector's Covey

This past Friday, the annual miniatures show took place at Collector's Covey in Dallas, Texas. Well known artists from around the country sent their work to this fantastic show and I was honored to be included for the second year in a row. If you click on the link above it will take you to the exhibition page where you can view all of the artwork they had in this year's show as well as from previous years' shows.

My two paintings are pictured here. The first features a flock of wood ducks peacefully cruising through a secluded backwater. The painting measures 6" x 17" and is titled Backwater Bounty. The second was one of my daily paintings titled Drake Pintails and it depicts a pair of male Northern Pintails resting in the cover of a wetland. At 5" x 5" it is truely a miniature original painting.

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New Print - Ending Rain

The new print has arrived! Ending Rain is a giclee on canvas that measures 16" x 24". A giclee print is an elegant, state-of-the-art reproduction that gives a vibrant color rendition of the original painting. Giclees are produced one print at a time and depending on their size, the intricate process can take up to an hour or more. The result is always the same: a beautifully reproduced work of art with the look and feel of the original. For more information you can click on the above link.
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Teal Reflections - 2011 DU National Package Selection

I was recently informed of some great news - the above painting, Teal Reflections, has been selected for the 2011 Ducks Unlimited National Art Package! The print will be distributed to Ducks Unlimited banquets and auctions throughout the country to help raise money for wetland habitat throughout North America. Ducks Unlimited invests millions of dollars annually into projects and land acquisitions to ensure that our children and their children have a place to enjoy the waterfowl that fill our skies each fall and winter. Each year artwork plays a vital role in their fundraising efforts and it is an incredible honor to be a part of it by being included in the national package.

The painting depicts a lone drake greenwing teal resting during the early evening hours. This shallow, marshy habitat is perfect for this smallest species of dabbling duck. Greenwing teal have always been a favorite of mine as much for their handsome plumage as for their exciting, twisting, turning flights.
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7th Place - Federal Duck Stamp Contest

This wood duck is my entry into the recent 2009 Federal Duck Stamp Contest and it tied for 7th place. This is my highest finish ever and it was my highest point total ever. Winning the federal is one of the hardest things to do in the entire art world and, hopefully, I will get the chance to come out on top one day. Robert Bealle of Waldorf, MD won this year's competition with a beautiful painting of an American Wigeon. Fortunately, my painting placed high enough to travel with the top twenty on a national tour with the first stop being the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD.
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Yellowstone Trips

In August and September I took two separate trips to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park as well as surrounding areas. I came away with tons of reference material of elk, grizzly bears, bison, pronghorns and numerous other animals. If you have never been, it is an incredible experience not only for the wildlife, but for the geological features as well.

One of the highlights from the first trip was seeing a grizzly bear up close. Normally, these cause huge traffic jams but it was right at first light and we had him all to ourselves for about 15 mins. as he lifted deadfall searching for insects as close as 20 yards at times. A car finally pulled up behind us as the bear sauntered off into the willows. The guy in the car looked intently to see what we were looking at but must not have seen him as he quickly drove off. He had no idea! I got some fantastic and unique photos that will inspire several paintings. I am trying to figure out how best to approach these shots to create a great painting that best captures the thrill of a grizzly bear encounter.

Above is a finished painting of the Lamar Valley titled Lamar Evening. I was trying to capture the essence of this valley where heards of bison, elk and pronghorn roam. Predators are attracted to the number of animals in this place as it harkens back to a day when there great herds of animals throughout our country. On this particular evening several flocks of Canada Geese lifted off the river and flew by.

Currently I have three paintings in the works from the trip - a coyote, a bull elk (the rut was in full swing in September) and a landscape of some aspens in front of the Tetons. I'll post them as soon as I finish them. Normally, I have posted the paintings as they have progressed, but each is far enough along now that I'll just wait until the finished product.

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The C Gallery

The C Gallery of Los Alamos, CA has a miniatures show opening tomorrow night. I have three pieces in the show and fourth piece in the gallery. Picture here are two of them Long-Billed Curlew 5"x5" acrylic on board and Feeding Pintail 4"x4" acrylic on board.

I have family that lives in the area and will attend the show and the owner, Connie Rohde used to teach with my brother-in-law at Santa Ynez High School - small world! It will be great to get some artwork back into the area as the long standing Peppertree Art Show (see older posts) has closed it doors due to the sale of the Peppertree Ranch.
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Back from the Dormant

This blog has been essentially dormant for the past 3 months and barely had a pulse for a couple of months before that. I plan on changing that as there is so much going on. I'll talk about what has happened for the first few posts though. My other blog - Daily Paintings by Peter Mathios - has been going strong if you would like to see recent completed works. In the meantime, stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as I share about two recent trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, shows, works in progress and anything related to art. Pictured is Last Light, 5"x5", acrylic on board.
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Road to Emmaus (painting in progress)

This large 24" x 48" painting is a departure from what I normally do and is getting close to completion. It is for the church I attend and will be placed in the foyer in a cafe area they have named Emmaus. The story of Emmaus is when Jesus joins two disciples on the road to Emmaus, which is a desert town roughly 30 miles from Jerusalem. The disciples do not recognize the man as Jesus until later in the evening when they broke bread at one of their homes. Jesus then vanished and the disciples went to spread the good news.

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Ellensburg National

This weekend I will be travelling to Ellensburg, WA to participate in the 37th annual Ellensburg National Western Art Show and Auction which features the following attractions:

- Talented new artists and nationally-acclaimed artists display and sell original art and prints
- Quick draws and artist demonstrations
- Auction includes original artwork and quick draw pieces
- Over 14,000 square feet of climate controlled show space
- Free parking
- Food vendors - Three Peaks Outfitters of Cle Elum, WA will be serving delicious cast iron cooking for all to enjoy. Stop by the encampment for a unique and filling meal. Beverages are being run by Young Life of Ellensburg.

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"Lessons" Available on Cabela's Website

The print Lessons, which features one of those important moments in life that happen between a father and a son, is now available on the Cabela's website. It has been available in their stores for about a year, but now is available online as well. Artist Proofs of the print are available through my website - www.mathiosstudios.net.

Wigeon Study Revised

This 8" x 10" study has been revised from the one that is a few entries below. A lead wigeon has been added closer to the viewer and a bird has also just landed in the water. Some of the reeds have been subtly modified as well to help the ducks stand out a bit more. This gives the painting added life while keeping the hunter's perspective. The study is for a larger commissioned painting for the St. Clair Flats Waterfowlers Incorporated conservation group.
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New Release - South Platte Sunrise artist proof prints

Image Size (unframed): 15" x 20"
Throughout the past year, the regular edition prints of South Platte Sunrise were used to raise money for upland bird habitat at Pheasants Forever banquets throughout the country. Now the remaining prints from the Artist Proof edition are available. The edition size is 50 prints and only 22 of those remain. To see more available prints, click here.
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The Challenger - Update #4

More habitat has been added in the front and more detail in the elk as well as sthe trees. It's still not finished and as I have mentioned on this blog before, some days it feels like a work all day and don't accomplish a thing. This usually happens when painting grasses. It is nice to scroll down and see that actual progress is being made though.
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Wigeon Study

This is the study for a commissioned painting for the St. Clair Flats Waterfowlers Inc. conservation group. They are dedicated to conserving the habitat in the St. Clair Flats area, which is a renowned waterfowling hot spot in the country located on the Michigan/Canadian border. The painting depicts a cattail marsh (very common in the St. Clair Flats area) with a group of American wigeon coming in as seen from the hunter's perspective. Hunters and groups like the SCFWI are instrumental in wildlife conservation and there are hundreds of local conservation groups around the country that gross millions of dollars for habitat conservation each year.
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The Challenger - Update #3

In this painting update more detail has been added to the background trees and the grasses. The elk haven't been touched since they were initially painted in except for blocking out some of the branches in the closest one's body. This is where the process of painting takes some time. I am now working on easing the dramatic pointed shape of the foreground shadow.
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Finished Commission

Several times each year, I get commissioned to create a painting. Sometimes it is of a family pet, or a special scene of someone's children, but most of the time it's a painting of a favorite hunting spot with ducks coming in. Inspired by an earlier painting I did called The Next Five, this painting is exactly that and is a surprise gift for a surprise 40th birthday party. The painting features a flock of pintail coming into an Oklahoma wetland at daybreak. The focus of the painting was capturing the essence of the Oklahoma landscape. Early morning clouds offset the open skies where a flock of pintail have locked up their wings to sail in. The last of the Fall foliage clings to the trees as the marsh gets ready to surrender to winter.
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The Challenger - Update #1

The second elk has been added as has some detail in the background grasses. There is going to be a lot of foreground detail and this painting is going to be a lot of work to get what I am foreseeing. I like the way the tension is developing between the two bull elk though. I may submit this image to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for consideration to create a print to benefit wildlife conservation. They see many paintings from many artists, but it is always worth trying.

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The Challenger - Painting in Progress

This painting has just been started and my goal is to post continued progress as it happens, giving you a glimpse into the process. The first steps were to lay in the basic placement of the meadow and the future shadows that will be in the grasses. I then blocked in the background trees. All of this has been done with a #10 round and a #12 flat. The first bull elk was laid in with a #2 round. There is going to be another bull coming in from the uppr left hand corner, which is what the front bull will be looking at.
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More Fun With the Camera

I was recently in Central Oregon and got some fantastic pictures. The mule deer were everywhere - we counted 167 in one day! We also found an alfalfa field where hundreds of mallard and Canada geese came in, and kept coming in, to feed.

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Pancake Pear and Gambel's

American Miniatures at Settler's West Galleries is fast approaching and here is one of my paintings that is going to be included in this year's show. It's called Pancake Pear and Gambel's and measures 10"x8". I am madly working on my second painting which is a desert landscape and I will post it when it is finished. The show is February 14th at the gallery in Tucson, AZ. This year I will be in attendance and am looking forward to seeing this spectacular event in person.

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New Camera

For my birthday, my wife, her side of the family, and my siblings all chipped in and bought me a Nikon D60. This is an incredible upgrade from my last camera and has already shown that it can get better reference photos. I am looking forward to the effects it has on my work. Below are some examples....

American Wigeon

Northern Pintail and Cackling Canada Geese

Northern Shovelers

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Magazine Article

Here's some exciting news. Ducks Unlimited has published an article in their January/February issue about my art and the International Artist of the Year honor. If you would like to read it, you can click here.