Animal Art & Wildlife Photography

With all this self-isolation and quarantine at home I seem to be watching even more TV. The news is being dominated by the pandemic and the commercials are focused on AARP, SHAG housing, Medicare insurance schemes, and psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis treatments. I've learned to use the Mute button a lot! Anyway, I do enjoy the Heartgard Plus commercial that shows different breeds of dogs hiding from fleas and ticks by using familiar objects as camouflage. Very creative!

From Heartgard Plus Ad

Maybe you've seen the Greyhound sitting on a porch next to its twin statue. And the mop that comes to life as a Hungarian Puli (a.k.a. mop dog). And the Shar-Pei nestled among a pile of towels. Now that's advertising at its best!

From Heartgard Plus Ad

I've also been watching reruns of the National Dog Shows hosted by John O'Hurley. The National Park Service is broadcasting live Watching Wildlife webcams designed to entertain us while we are stuck indoors. I know, it's not like being there, but would you honestly like to be 30 feet away from a grizzly bear or a cougar in its natural habitat? And, while I enjoy taking virtual tours of art museums, I'd much rather see the artwork in-person.

We have lots of wild animals roaming behind our house, and I've seen hawks and bald eagles flying overhead. All of this inspires me to compose a post devoted to our pets and backyard wildlife. 

Our family pets were captured in the wild at Lake Sawyer toward the end of a short hike on Memorial Day Weekend. Another activity many of us can enjoy during this phase of COVID-19 recovery.

Whippet Watercolor

Heron Statue, Knapp
Winery, Romulus, NY

In 2019 I posted about my three brothers trip to the Baseball HOF for the induction of Edgar Martinez,  Harold Baines, Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith, and the late Roy Halladay. We met up in Michigan where  I saw my older brother's art collection of dogs and horses and later, art from our road trip through the Finger Lakes on our way to Cooperstown, NY.

In subsequent posts, I've included other Family Art. In addition to his Chinese Crested, my brother has painted the basset hounds he had as pets and the horses he and his wife have cared for over the years.

For 25 years, my sister-in-law has been an avid and accomplished wildlife photographer. Her wonderful photographs are available for sale on Alamy and for viewing on Flickr. I love how she captures hummingbirds, the beautiful colors of the (out-of-focus) backgrounds,

...the pairing of animals

(e.g. - the two-headed 

lion. Ha!),

...the composition of a bird perched atop a horse's back with the contrasting white hair, as if a giant bird is navigating a wintery landscape,

...and of course the classic backyard birds, berries, and branches. These make beautiful postcards for sending to family and friends to keep in touch during this time of physical separation.

My Michigan family traditionally visits nearby racetracks and vacations specifically in towns having racetracks -- Santa Anita Park in CA; Gulfstream Park in FL; Saratoga Racetrack in Saratoga Springs, NY; Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, KY; Arlington Park in Chicago; and Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY (for the Breeders Cup in November 2010). Here are some photos that were taken at various racetracks.

It's exciting to watch the graceful thoroughbreds race along the track carrying their brightly colored jockeys toward the finish line. Each rider is sporting a different pattern of silks -- polka dots, diamonds, or stripes -- and the helmets remind me of solid billiard balls moving together on a pool table.

"Jockeys Avant Course" (1895), Edgar Degas

I am inspired to share this small Degas painting that I saw in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Ny Carlsberg Glypotek this past June while on a Baltic cruise. Degas painted several such paintings of jockeys hanging out before a race. Probably more famous are his paintings of ballet dancers, who are equally graceful subjects.

French Briard from Dogs by Rien Poortvliet

My brother has recommended the books,

“Dogs” and “Horses” by Dutch artist and draftsman,

Rien Poortvliet (1932-95), who was also a wildlife photographer.

Horses (1978), Rien Poortvliet, Netherlands

Carotene Thief, Carl Sams

Albino Doe and Triplet Fawns, Carl Sams

Another wildlife photographer from Michigan is Carl R. Sams II (and partner Jean Stoick). You can see more at the Michigan Artists Gallery. This snowman reminds me of the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbs. Have you ever seen an albino deer?

Catch of the Day, Mangelsen

Wildlife photographer and sculptor, Thomas D. Mangelsen, takes amazing photographs of wildlife and turns them into bronze sculptures (see the link to his gallery).

“Taking Flight” Great Blue Heron, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah

I've been a member of the

Black Diamond Arts Alliance for the past year, where I met local wildlife photographer, Zbig Kasprzyk. He is a retired police officer and a world traveler. He won the People's Choice Award at our Spring Art Show for a landscape he printed on metal.

“Serenity” Female Elephant, Zulu Nyala Game Reserve, South Africa

Zbig used a Nikon 80mm-400mm lens to capture this shot from ~50-75 feet away. On a different drive, he was surrounded by a herd of elephants about this close!

You can see more photos on Instagram, Zbig Kasprzyk Photos.