My friends at the US Fish & Wildlife Service in Fairbanks, AK have asked me to share my experience in the refuge this summer, as part of promoting the online Arctic Bird Festival. I will be doing several talks in Anchorage and Fairbanks, am featured in the promotion, and designed the poster you see here. If you are interested in what it’s like to be a bird on the coastal plain, see all the great content, stories, videos and more here: www.arcticbirdfest.com

During my stint at the Canning River Bird Camp, a team from the US Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska (the lovely and talented Allyssa Morris and Lisa Hupp) were filming some material for the online Arctic Bird Festival – see next post.

Following are 2 videos from my time in the refuge-

An introduction to Canning River Bird Camp

and a wonderful piece on y time in the Refuge as Artist in Residence

wonderful taste of the experience of working in Arctic Refuge!

This photo of George Schaller, wildlife conservationist, biologist, author and my personal hero (just google him) has been my desktop screen saver for the past 2 years. He is overlooking Arctic National Wildlife Refuge at the very top of Alaska; a protected piece of land the size of Connecticut, one of the last fully intact ecosystems in the world. This place is home to muskox and wolves, grizzlies and polar bears, breeding ground for countless migratory birds and range of the 400,000 caribou Porcupine herd. It’s called the American Serengeti. Through the Voices of the Wilderness artist residency program I will be going there this June, spending a couple weeks on the coastal plain at the Canning River bird camp observing the breeding birds of the arctic. I am humbled and honored for this amazing opportunity, keep checking see updates on my adventure!

I currently have 3 pieces (Mountain Gorilla, Black Rhino & Snowy Owl) in the Critical Balance show at the Portland Public Library. Here is information on the exhibit:

Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird, and mammal become extinct every 24 hours. This is nearly 1,000 times the “natural” or “background” rate and, say many biologists, is greater than anything the world has experienced since the vanishing of the dinosaurs nearly 65 million years ago. Today many of the creatures that are familiar to us are at a critical balancing point. They might not be here for future generations to experience.

Nine New England artists have gathered to paint and exhibit a selection of species that are listed as endangered on the IUCN’s red list. As artists that have a dedication to the natural world, they have a unique opportunity to share their observations and use their art to convey both the beauty of these endangered species and the need to protect them. The intent of this exhibit is to use art to inspire and educate in ways that will reach beyond statistics, policy, and politics.

The exhibit will include 23 pieces of art painted to life-size and a catalog of the work. All work will be available for sale and a percentage of proceeds will be donated to the conservation of endangered or threatened species.
The show runs through May 25th.

I am having a solo exhibit of portraits and field sketches of birds of prey at the Gilslsand Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth, Maine. There’s an opening reception Thurs May 21st from 5-7, and the show runs through June 26th. I’ll also be sketching live birds at LL Bean on Sat the 22nd at 1pm as part of their birding weekend.

I just learned I’ve been selected to be this year’s artist in residence at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. I’ll be there for 2 weeks in late July/early August, working with research scientists to observe and record through my art how different species adapt to the shifting climate of Glacier Bay. This is an amazing honor and I’m humbled to be chosen for this opportunity. 22 years ago my wife Linda and I spent a week kayaking in Glacier Bay, where we got engaged.

Voices for the Wilderness program

I have 3 pieces in the group show Coyote Connections at the UNE Gallery in Portland.

It’s a great concept, having select artists work with a specific species to raise awareness and hope fully change attitudes. Nice write up in the Portland Press Herald:

http://mainetoday.com/maine_art/coyote-connections-exhibition-une-explores-world-coyotes/