tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post116125778671916255..comments2008-12-13T03:21:24.559-05:00Julie Zickefoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654698829603424649noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161632135425158042006-10-23T14:35:00.000-05:002006-10-23T14:35:00.000-05:00Anonymous: It's a western grebe. Sorry not to have identified it.And it's supposed to be a young one. <BR/><BR/>Caroline: Your question sent me into a fit of angst. I have gobs of pics of smoke bombers dumping water, but there's no visible tank or bucket beneath them. I can only surmise that some kind of door lowers when they skim low over the lake. I was careful to use a image of a plane dumping water and not the orange fire retardant slurry, because the job called for a picture of a plane that scoops up water from a lake (as opposed to returning to a hangar to be refilled). The trouble with apocalypse is there are so many details to attend to.Julie Zickefoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654698829603424649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161487638911662632006-10-21T22:27:00.000-05:002006-10-21T22:27:00.000-05:00why did you choose a winter plumage Horned Grebe vs. a adult breeding plumage Horned Grebe for your painting?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161468678028596892006-10-21T17:11:00.000-05:002006-10-21T17:11:00.000-05:00I am curious how a plane like that can pick up water from a lake surface. Helicopters around here use a bucket and air tankers have to return to the airport to be filled with fire retardant slurry. We see both working all the time during fire season in the Black Hills National Forest. It must take nerves of steel to man those planes!<BR/>Caroline in SDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161351731953849972006-10-20T08:42:00.000-05:002006-10-20T08:42:00.000-05:00Old as dirt? You’re younger than me by a fair bit. <BR/>So, am I older than Sol?<BR/><BR/>I love Liam’s art, nothing subtle in it fire breathing airplane/dragon, machine guns.<BR/>What an amazing mind to think of mirroring the words and then being able to do it.<BR/><BR/>The Nature Nut was and still is super cool.<BR/>John also had/has a birding program Twits and Pishers. Another solid presentation.<BR/><BR/>With all the over dramatization, fast cuts and shaky shots we are messing with the minds of an entire generation. Then as a culture we call it ADD or some other alphabetical jumble.<BR/><BR/>What every happened to books, board and card games and non organized play such as tag.<BR/><BR/>There was an article in yesterday’s paper stating that local school boards are banning unsupervised play such as touch football and tag. Someone could get hurt.<BR/><BR/>Give me a break!Rondeau Richttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16757905904813824235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161340426021930122006-10-20T05:33:00.000-05:002006-10-20T05:33:00.000-05:00Dear Laura,<BR/><BR/>At the risk of sounding flip, I think the special quality you're trying to put your finger on is luridity. I try to eschew luridity in most of my paintings, leaning instead toward subtlety. That's part of why this is so challenging to me. I don't know that there is any way to paint a scene like this one subtly.<BR/>MojoMan, you're right. I was eight in my Wild Kingdom watching heyday. Aggh. As if I need to be reminded in the dark of a winter morning that I'm old as dirt.<BR/><BR/>Kathi, the dachshund I grew up with would have shredded us had we attempted to bulldog him. He had a great sense of humor, but a certain fussiness about his physical space.<BR/><BR/>uoy evol I yhw si siht, dribaziL.<BR/><BR/>I keep asking the box turtle eggs the same question. It is probable that they will spend the winter underground, since it got cold so early. They sometimes hatch and never bother to dig out until spring, if it gets cold early. Of course I drive myself crazy wondering if they're OK. I check every few days but with nighttime temps dipping into the 30's now I have little expectation they'll emerge before May 2007.<BR/><BR/>Jane, I made it until the deeply satisfying hour of 4:23 this morning, when a nightmare about a runaway car bearing down on Liam sat me straight up in bed. This is what wireless and laptops are for. Chet sends a snore to you.Julie Zickefoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06654698829603424649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161331164224807172006-10-20T02:59:00.000-05:002006-10-20T02:59:00.000-05:00Dear Julie,<BR/> This phone murdering lady bug hating individual thought she would tell you at 3:48 a.m. how much she enjoyed the painting lesson. Great work, loved the grebe...hey, he didn't get sucked up into the plane and spit out at the fire, did he??? Something else to worry about at 4 a.m. so sleep is impossible.....that fatheaded minnow is still under the dock right?Janeymshttp://pupswilltravel.tripod.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161313107071849452006-10-19T21:58:00.000-05:002006-10-19T21:58:00.000-05:00Whoa, girl. You paint well! Duh. That's why you have a beautiful new book published, one that I FINALLY laid my hands upon (in Cleveland, of all places). I love it and I'm buying several copies for gifts at Christmas.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for walking us through this painting process. I found it fascinating. I like Liam's, work, too...bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119943581970095780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161312057497520302006-10-19T21:40:00.000-05:002006-10-19T21:40:00.000-05:00It's a gift when you allow us to see how your paintings evolve. This one is complex and suited for your creative juices! <BR/><BR/>I've been watching Wild Kingdom since it's beginnings, Animal Planet, and Steve Irwin. <BR/><BR/>God, I'm old.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02040099513110890878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161310274218767632006-10-19T21:11:00.000-05:002006-10-19T21:11:00.000-05:00Mojoman, I was thinking the same thing today!<BR/>Did they make it?<BR/>I'm not that old yet (33) but I pine for the old days. Nothing is the same anymore:<BR/>Instead of Wild Kingdom, we got Steve Irwin.<BR/>Instead of Pac-Man, we got Grand Theft Auto.<BR/>Animal Planet has resurrected Wild Kingdom, though. But no Marlin Perkins.Susan Gets Nativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00216170589750418861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161309500584734172006-10-19T20:58:00.000-05:002006-10-19T20:58:00.000-05:00Hey! (Totally off topic.) When are those box turtles under the milk crate going to hatch??MojoManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096474238114783572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161309348825433102006-10-19T20:55:00.000-05:002006-10-19T20:55:00.000-05:00As one who has no artistic ability at all but one who wishes he could draw, I love to watch you make the sausage. It helps me appreciate all the work and creativity that great paintings require.<BR/><BR/>Are we just a little bit in denial here? Wasn't "Wild Kingdom" on about FORTY years ago?MojoManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06096474238114783572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161308792301924482006-10-19T20:46:00.000-05:002006-10-19T20:46:00.000-05:00Yea, I thought that part was really cool, too. Glad I'm not the only one to have noticed that first off - could be the teacher in me, though.<BR/><BR/>;-)<BR/><BR/>Your painting is very dramatic, Julie. I'm interested in the different *technique* one uses for a children's book - there is a certain look to that type of artwork, but I don't know specifically what it is that makes it look that way?LauraHinNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329387562570495570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161307318016765402006-10-19T20:21:00.000-05:002006-10-19T20:21:00.000-05:00gnitniap s'maiL fo trap etirovaf yM<BR/>sdrow eht nettirw sah eh yaw eht si <BR/>!suineg a si dik ehT .thgir eht no wollef eht foelizabirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07282998561977940826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161303986581149982006-10-19T19:26:00.000-05:002006-10-19T19:26:00.000-05:00A very different look from what I am used to seeing from you. Ought to be dramatic enough for today's kids.<BR/><BR/>I remember plenty of drama in "Wild Kingdom," too. Gentle Marlin Perkins was always sending his poor assistant, Jim, into the river to wrestle an anaconda or some other equally dangerous situation.<BR/><BR/>One episode that made a big impact on my sister and I was when Jim jumped out of a low-flying plane to "bull-dog" elk, in preparation for tagging them for a study. We stood on kitchen chairs, waiting patiently for our Dachshund to wander by, only to pounce and "bull-dog" him.<BR/><BR/>Before I get flamed by the Weiner-dog Protection Association, let me add that once Joe figured out the game, he would dash through the kitchen, tantilizely close to the chairs, and tease us into making the dangerous leap. Sometimes we would catch him, sometimes he would escape, but always the three of us would dissolve in a pile of giggles.<BR/><BR/>Bull-dogging ceased by order of the Parental Unit, in order to protect her chairs and clear her kitchen of extreme pet sports.<BR/><BR/>~Kathi, thanking you for the memories and the art lessonKatDocnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161300159346373922006-10-19T18:22:00.000-05:002006-10-19T18:22:00.000-05:00That was VERY interesting. It was also interesting to look at the pictures from last to first as well, trying to see how you accomplished the finished product.<BR/><BR/>The Swami's painting efforts would be closer to, but not as good as Liam's.The Swamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02900082417288485509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161300041223689322006-10-19T18:20:00.000-05:002006-10-19T18:20:00.000-05:00Wow, it's nice to see how you progress in your artwork. Thanks for sharing your in progress photos.NatureWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07790403544691434931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608656.post-1161297689354247212006-10-19T17:41:00.000-05:002006-10-19T17:41:00.000-05:00And look....room for pithy text. Very cool. Thanks for the view inside the work. I like ivory black, too.<BR/><BR/>What mag is this for?<BR/><BR/>And Zoey wants to meet Phoebe sometime.Trixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04765602736333069178noreply@blogger.com