Dedication for a Great Instructor

Madagascar Pissing Cockroach

A little known cousin of the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. Every animal will have its defense if corned ya know.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Artic Skua

Wait, can all birds see 20/20?

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Clown Fish

Thanks to Finding Nemo clown fish have been given some recognition, however there's an interesting fact about them that wasn't included in the movie. They are amongst a select group of animals that has the ability to change its sex. All clown fish are born male, but will change sex in order to become a dominant female of a group.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Hyena

Looking similar to dogs, hyenas are more closely related to cats. As the human population continues to grow on Earth, in Africa they come into more contact with them. The Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania actually leave their dead to hyenas.

Another Oldies but Goodie

Here's one of my early successes in digital painting when I was starting out with it. I've learned a lot and have come a long with it, but sometimes it's nice to look back and see what's worked along the way too.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Monarch Butterfly

Well it's Spring and 'tis the season for renewal and rebirth. Of course what better to represent than with this insect beginning its life as a caterpillar and then making its metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly.

I sort of feel like I'm stuck in a cocoon right now beginning to emerge as a renewed self. It's been quite an interesting past month. I broke and split open my nose in a diabetes related incident. I woke up one night with an incredibly low blood sugar. then proceeded to lose consciousness and have a seizure. Upon having this I fell and hit my face on the door frame and damaged my nose. This is not easy for me to think of or write about, but it isn't something I can just put aside and ignore (which I have done at times in the past). I've been a type 1, insulin dependent diabetic for 23 years now. Having it certainly includes some ups and downs, but regardless it's made me who I am for better and for worse. It was a painful lesson for me to learn not to take my diabetes for granted by any means, and to learn from this to improve my discipline and outlook towards it. I plan to live a long life with this and be as healthy as possible.

Luckily I have a wonderful person in my life to help me when I need it. I am now a married man, and am proud to say feels quite good. My wife and I are a true yin and yang relationship, as she is everything that I am not. This helps us compliment each other quite well. She's taught me to challenge my beliefs and outlook on life constantly and I believe I've grown tremendously from being with her. I am one who truly believes everything happens for a reason, and me meeting Sarah was meant to be.

I feel there's a more spiritual side developing in me as well. I've long been known by some to be a staunch atheist, but I'm beginning to wonder if times are changing. This does not by any means translate as me being a "born-again", in fact I do not and will never have any religious affiliation. Even through my years as an atheist, I held the belief that there was more to life than what we see, and that there was more to life after "death". Now this is what I believe or would like to believe, but ultimately I don't know what will happen at death and if a "god" will be there to greet me, and quite frankly nobody does. To clarify though, I'm not totally sure what I believe yet, but it's developing and more than anything I'm learning the benefits of having a spiritual side. Maybe this whole life as we know it is the caterpillar and cocoon stage, and once we "pass", our spirit is the butterfly?

Oh Bite Me

Well anyone who's followed my work know that I like to throw in a curve ball here and there, and try something different. Well here you go. Vampires!

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Squirrels

There's two squirrels that live in a huge tree next to my house. They run through the trees in between the houses and often hang out in the one in front of my office window. They bicker and mess around like an old married couple.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Ring Tailed Lemurs

Well it seems like an eternity since my last post, but here we go. It's been a roller coaster last few weeks both in my work and personal life, but all is good and I'm getting back on track.

Not sure why I picked lemurs to kick things off again, but I've always been kind of mesmerized by their long, beautiful tails, that like many animals are used in communication. At the SF Zoo they have a huge, open area for all the lemurs to run around, where they're referred to as the 'leaping lemurs'. They're one of those animals that are just fun to watch, as they effortlessly jump from tree to tree high above the ground. Lemurs are on the endangered list and aside from being popular residents at zoos, they are only found on the African island of Madagascar. Now I'm getting nostalgic...I better get back to the zoo this weekend...and hopefully to Madagascar someday :)

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Penguins

In full color y'all!

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Golden Eagle

Here's an older piece I did of a Golden Eagle from the San Francisco Zoo. Peace out!

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Bird of Paradise

If anyone's seen Planet Earth from Discovery Channel, they'll absolutely know this bird. This is the dance of the male Bird of Paradise used to attract females. It's so alien looking the way they form their feathers around their head, when this is done. Actually as I painted this, I was listening to Culture Club "I'll Tumble For Ya"...perfect for the mood ;)

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Hummingbird

Hello Photoshop filters. Haha, just one of those things as long as it's not abused you're fine.

Hummingbirds can flap their wings 15-200 times per second, and are able to fly at 60 mph. Also they are the only bird that is able to fly backwards.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Cardinal

Cardinals are primarily known for their red color, but it's actually only the male of the species that sports this hue (assumed for mating purposes). Females are a tan/gray color. Good times!

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Parrot

Well I'm not going to spew any animal facts today, because this piece is more about relationships and importance of having a rock or rocks in your life that you can turn to and rely on. I think it's absolutely key to have and actually I'm sure most people have them in their lives whether it be a friend, family member, significant other, or a pet. I actually have many in my life, the most significant being my family and my fiancee. There's times you may be down, sad, stressed or scared and you can rely on them to help guide you through these tough periods.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Laughing Kookaburra

It only seemed like Laughing Kookaburras would be appropriate for today since I could use a good laugh. I just imagine them sitting around entertaining each other. A symbol of Australia's birdlife, they get their names from their laughter-like call. I think I have some deep inner fascination with Australian wildlife. The continent is so full of rich and interesting animals. It's at the top of my list to visit someday. I promise I'll get there Nicole! ;)

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Wolf

OH I'm on to you Photoshop. This is a rare piece of mine done completely in this program, whereas most of my work is done in Painter, and finishing touches done in Photoshop. Practice, practice, I'm getting there.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Ladybug

A little twist on a famous beetle, not Paul or Ringo though. Like most brightly colored animals ladybugs are colored the way they are as a warning to predators that I'm foul tasting. They secrete a bad tasting liquid from their hindquarters. Of course they're primarily red, this is just a fun variation.

A.O.T.D. (Animal of the Day) Llama

Llamas are relatives of camels living in South America, primarily Peru. They serve such multiple purposes to man. They are very reliable pack animals, leather is made from their hides, the coats are used to make rope, rugs, and fabrics. Llama meat is a popular item and finally their excrement is dried and used for fuel.