Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
This painting is 7 x 5", oil on board

Cardinal Pair

Cardinal Pair
This painting is 7 x 5", oil on board, unframed


Cardinals hold a special place in our hearts! They are the state bird of Ohio and also have the honor of being the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia----no other bird is honored by more states!

Cardinals are certainly easy to spot, especially the male, whose brilliant plumage is a lovely contrast to both a snowy or summer-green landscape. Cardinals mate for life and will inhabit the same vicinity for years. Accurate or not, we think we recognize "individual" cardinals in our own back yard and we are lucky to have a large number that live nearby. This pair are two of our favorites!

Screech Owl

Thanks to all who viewed and bid on the painting

Screech Owl
This painting is 7 x 5", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Throughout history the owl has had supernatural powers in many different cultures. The Chinese believed that owls would steal your soul and death was near. In Italy if an owl is heard outside the home of someone who is sick, he will be dead in three days. Pregnant women in France who hear the shriek of an owl will give birth to a girl. In Wales if a young woman hears an owl, she is about to lose her virginity. Some North American Indian tribes believed eating an owl's eye would help them see at night. In times of disease and famine, the Japanese would place pictures of owls on their houses in hopes that their home would be spared.

Belted Kingfisher

Thanks to all who viewed and bid on the painting

Belted Kingfisher
This painting is 5 x 7", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Legend says that Noah sent the kingfisher out to look for land. The kingfisher flew high in the sky (thus her blue back) but so close to the sun that it scorched her breast. Noah was so upset that he made the kingfisher stay on the deck of the ark and catch her food from the water.

Cheeta

Thanks to all the viewers and bidders

Cheeta
This painting is 7 x 5", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Wood Duck

Thanks to all the viewers and bidders

Wood Duck
This painting is 5 x 7", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Harris Hawk

Thanks to all the viewers and bidders

Harris Hawk
This painting is 6 x 8", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Harris hawks are found most abundantly in southern Texas, southeast New Mexico and south and central Arizona. They have been reported in Nevada, Utah and Oklahoma and have been reintroduced along the Colorado River in California. If you live elsewhere and think you have spotted a Harris hawk, it could well be true. Because they are popular in falconry, "escapees" can be found just about anywhere. The Harris hawk was named for Edward Harris, a friend of Audubon.

Happy Mothers' Day

Happy Mothers' Day

To all the mothers of the world and especially to Alice from her three cubs, Parker, Rachel and Beecher.

Hooded Merganser

Thanks to all the viewers and bidders

Hooded Merganser
This painting is 5 x 7", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Hooded mergansers are certainly one of Nature's marvels! The drake is able to completely change his appearance by raising his crest, displaying a spectacular "hood" and looking completely different from the duck he was just a few seconds before. Mergansers are relatively small and are the only endemic North American fish-ducks. They are quite shy, secretive and retiring but if you are fortunate enough to spot one you too might understand some of the colloquial names bestowed upon these beautiful creatures: Cottonhead, Fuzzhead, Wirecrown, Hairycrown, Fan-crest, Mosshead, Frog Duck.

Spring Designs

Now that spring has arrived and the landscape is turning a luscious green, take the time to look down at your feet the next time you're outside. The ground is covered with amazing, wonderful patterns and designs.

Impalas

Thanks to all the watchers and bidders

Impalas
This painting is 5 x 7", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Impalas are one of the 89 species of even-toed ungulates in Africa. We observed these graceful beauties at Sweetwaters in Kenya. Impalas are a medium-sized antelope with lovely long necks and limbs. They are able to jump 8 feet high and distances of over 30 feet. Impalas run on their tiptoes, as do all ungulates. They are usually found near a source of water.

Blue Jay

Thanks to bidders and watchers

Blue Jay
This painting is 6 x 4", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

The gregarious blue jay is hard to ignore! He can be noisy and bossy but certainly deserves to be forgiven, if one considers those short-comings! His plumage and coloration are spectacular and he plays a very important role in helping re-seed forests. Because jays often do not retrieve the seeds and acorns they buried in the fall, they have actually helped "plant" new seeds! Mark enjoys painting blue jays and has painted many over the years. We hope you enjoy this new ebay offering!

American Goldfinch

Thanks to bidders and watchers

American Goldfinch
This painting is 7 x 5", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

It would be hard to argue that anyone has more lovely summer finery than the diminutive male Goldfinch. In the winter he wears olive-brown like his mate, but in summer he is the most stunning shade of yellow. He is such a welcome resident in our yard and we love to watch him dart about and hear his call "per-chik-o-ree." Goldfinches love thistle seed both as food and a source of nesting material. They use the thistle down to line their nests. They delay breeding until mid-to-late summer when the seeds and thistledown are available.

The Goldfinch has captured the hearts of poets and painters alike. Raphael and Tiepolo both painted the Madonna of the Goldfinch, showing Mother and Child with a Goldfinch. Goya painted Don Manuel Osorio de Zuniga with a magpie and cage full of European Goldfinches.

Earth Day

Happy 39th Earth Day!

I vividly remember participating in the first Earth Day celebration on my college campus.
We were all full of hope that we were going to save Mother Earth from any further destruction. In many ways, I think we have more work to do today than we did 39 years ago! Most of you have probably heard the following before, but it seems most appropriate to think about Chief Seattle's wise words again today on Earth Day!

Alice


You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children---that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood unites one family. All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself....

CHIEF SEATTLE

Lilac-Breasted Roller

Thanks to all who watched and bid

Lilac-Breasted Roller
This painting is 5 x 7", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

The lilac-breasted roller is one of 8 species of rollers in Africa. We really enjoyed watching these jewel-colored daredevils while in Kenya. They certainly put on an exciting aerial show as they fly "sky-high" when engaging in courting or defense behavior and then proceed to nose-dive toward the ground while rocking from side to side. When we thought they would be headed for a crash landing on the ground, they would soar and repeat the entire stunt again!

American Kestrel

Thank you to the ebay bidders and watchers

American Kestrel
This painting is 7 x 5", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

The American Kestrel is a beautiful, small bird of prey that has an amazing ability to hover and in fact the Eurasian Kestrel is sometimes called a Windhover. American Kestrels were formerly called Sparrow Hawks, a reference to their smaller size and sometimes their prey, although American Kestrels in the countryside eat far more rodents and insects than sparrows. Because the fledglings stay with their parents for a time, if you are observant, you just might see a whole family together in late summer.

WEB SITE

Many of you have asked about Mark's website www.markeberhard.com. Here's the scoop! Our web site has been somewhat frozen-up for some time now, which means we have not been able to update or edit it. We are currently working on redoing the site and expect that we will have the new site operable in 6 or 7 weeks. Until that time, you can still view many of Mark's paintings on the site but keep in mind that information about shows and whether a painting is sold or available are not always accurate. Also, please do NOT try to contact us through the website as that feature is currently not working either. You can contact us through this blog by clicking on complete profile and sending us an email that way. Thanks for your patience.

Indigo Bunting

Thanks to all who bid

Indigo Bunting
This painting is 4 x 6", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Indigo Buntings live primarily in abandoned fields and clearings in the eastern part of the United States except for Florida where they are usually seen only during migratory periods. They do not have any blue pigment in their feathers. They are actually black with the diffraction of light causing them to appear blue. At one time they were caught and sold as caged songbirds. In Elizabethan days the Indigo Bunting was even eaten at important banquets.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Completed Painting

Completed Painting

On the first day of spring my true love gave to me...

Three Doves Progress

Three Doves Progress

This image shows a couple days of work. You can notice that the dove on the right is different from the initial drawing. I was never really happy with that dove. That's one of the reasons I paint on board. Changes are easy. Just a little scraping and sandpaper. There is a first coat of color overall with the final painting of the Ornamental Pear blossoms having been started on the far right.

Carolina Wren

Thanks to all who bid

Carolina Wren
This painting is 4 x 6", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Most everyone is familiar with the little vocal wren.

There are nine species found in North America, the Carolina Wren being one. Wrens seem to be telling us to "not give up" as they build their nests in just about anything they can find, often turning this way and that to fit a long twig through a tiny opening of the nest. They are quite busy little birds and a male will often build a number of nests until he pleases his mate. Wrens are so much fun to watch and make up in antics what they lack in coloration.

Zebra

Thanks to all who bid!

Zebra
This painting is 5 x 7", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Africa is the land of camouflage and after our first trip to Kenya we would tell our friends "You don't know what camouflage is until you've been to Africa." Mark and I remember being a little embarrassed on our first game drive in the bush when our driver pointed out an elephant, not really that far in th distance. It took us a while to see him because, despite being huge, he blended so well into the landscape. Zebras are much easier to spot and in fact, to the human eye, "stick out" quite well on the plains. But yet they too benefit from camouflage - their stripes confuse predators attempting to single out an individual in a herd. It is fascinating that like our fingerprints, no two zebras have the same exact stripping.

These photos are of Plains Zebras observed at Keekorok and Sweetwater in Kenya and were the inspiration for Mark's ebay offering.

Three Doves

Three Doves

The past winter and now this spring we have had an abundance of Mourning Doves at our feeders. It has given me an opportunity for lots of observation and photography. I have consequently decided to do a painting using some of those materials. Once I have decided on a basic idea I go from sketchbook to computer to work on the design. I scan in sketches and download photos. The computer then gives me incredible flexibility in designing the painting. I can change sizes, colors and compositions much more quickly than if I had to sketch each new thought. Shown above is the computer sketch that I decided upon to use.



The next step is to do a drawing of the composition, transfer that to the board, (I use gessoed hardboard to paint on), do a tight rendering and seal that with fixative. The next step is to put a thin wash of color over the drawing. I will be doing that in the next couple of days.

Mourning Dove

Thanks to all who bid!

Mourning Dove Painting
This painting is 6 x 6", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

Doves the world over are most commonly thought of as a symbol of peace. The Mourning Dove is one of the most prolific and widespread of all birds in America and breeds throughout the United States and southern Canada. Other species of doves are also found in the United States, including the White-Winged Dove, Inca Dove and the Common Ground Dove. The Mourning Dove's soft, low coo is most distinctive. We like to think he is saying "Peace, Peace, Peace."

Raven Painting

ebay listing

Raven Painting
This painting is 5 x 7", oil on board, unframed

SOLD

The magic and mystery of the Raven is evident throughout literature and folklore the world over. There is a Native American legend that tells of the Sun, Creator of All Things, considering the Raven to be the smartest of all animals. A British legend tells us that as long as Ravens live in the Tower of London, Britain will not fall.

No Ravens visit us here in the Ohio River valley, but Mark and I spent many hours observing them in a remote location in Yellowstone, where they had no fear of but rather seemed genuinely curious about us. Ravens are loyal, considerate mates, devoted parents and certainly can teach us a thing or two.

Bernd Heinrich's 1999 book "Mind of the Raven" is fascinating. Heinrich is a biologist who has traveled the world studying Ravens and even becomes a "Raven father" when he adopts some.

Woody Woodpecker

Woody Woodpecker

This morning I was working at my board when I heard that unmistakenable sound of a Pileated Woodpecker. I looked out the window and there he was on the suet feeder. We rarely have the Pileateds come to the feeder so this was a great treat. I was able to get some photos which should make it into a future painting. Last spring we had a pair in the yard for a few weeks. I thought they might be nesting in the area but never found any evidence.

Something interesting I learned last week was that the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker was not based on a Pileated as I and many others had thought. Walter Lantz, the animator who created Woody, based his character on an Acorn woodpecker which he and his wife saw while honeymooning in California. It made such a racket and was so amusing that his wife suggested someday he should turn it into a cartoon character.

My next oil painting offering on ebay will be this Thursday.

First ebay Listing

First ebay Listing

Blue and Yellow Macaw
This is my first ebay offering. The painting is 6 x 6", oil on board, unframed.

SOLD

The Blue and Yellow Macaw is a member of the Neotropical parrots. It lives in the forests and woodlands of South America. The macaws numbers are falling in areas of its northern range due to habitat loss but remains widespread in mainland South America.

First Sign of Spring

First Sign of Spring

Spring arrives on Friday. For us it was last week when the grackles arrived at our feeder. Every spring the grackles, starlings, cowbirds and redwing blackbirds spend a couple of weeks crowding out the locals at the feeders - the cardinals, chickadees, titmice, mourning doves, carolina wrens, sparrows, nuthatches, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers and even blue jays - before they continue on their migration north.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog.

The purpose of this blog is threefold. First it is to introduce you to my working process. I will be showing the progress of my paintings from the beginning sketches through the final painting. Secondly, I will illustrate through my photographs how I experience the basic design elements - point, line, plane and color - in nature and their relationship to my painting. Lastly, I will be posting small oil paintings for sale on ebay. The first will be listed on Sunday.

In addition, Alice will add a more personal touch with her musings.