Happy New Year...to You and to All the Little Birdies, Too!

 Happy 2023 to all the humans and the little (and big) critters on the earth!!

Following is a painting I just finished showing a Bullock's oriole that once graced a desert willow we had at our previous residence. We only saw him once, long enough for me to grab a few photos of him before he took off.

Bullock's orioles are the western version of Baltimore orioles which prefer the eastern part of the country; in fact, where their respective ranges overlap, the two are known to hybridize. Ornithologists have an ongoing debate over whether or not these two birds are really the same species.

The world has some incredibly beautiful birds, and I expect to be painting some of them over the next few months. A gallery owner in Ohio asked me to place some bird paintings in her gallery. That could be a great opportunity to show in a part of the country I've never been to yet!

Bullock's Oriole                                                   8" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

We'll see how this all works out. Hopefully for the better!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Possibly Prefers a Prickly Perch!

Cactus Wren is my last painting from 2020! 08" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm, acrylic on panel.

Cactus wrens are birds we see in the southwestern deserts (such as where I live!) and seem to be able to land on and flit about within the prickliest cactus without impaling themselves or stabbing themselves with thorns. In fact, they even build their nests in the branches of cactus like the teddy bear cholla shown in the painting. I can't imagine what predators would be able to get past the thorns and attack the birds or the eggs!

The males and females look pretty much the same, so I couldn't tell you if this birdie is a boy or a girl. While I can't say cactus wrens are songbirds, they make a distinctive sound that I've heard referred to as the "call of the desert." I agree with that characterization. This is what they sound like.

I love these critters!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Blue on Blue: Western Scrub Jays

 

Blue on Blue: Western Scrub Jays is my latest painting. The size is 8" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm and features a couple of scrub jays that we find out here in the desert. This species of jay have no crests on their heads. The two are sitting on a monzogranite rock typical of those in Joshua Tree National Park, CA, USA.

I've always enjoyed being around these birds. They're bold, colorful and always seem to be cheerful; or at least, they cheer ME up! I should paint more of these!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

MEEP MEEP!!!

 

Meep meep!! I bet everybody knows who makes that sound!!

Of course, it's the roadrunner from the Warner Bros. cartoons who loves burning up the asphalt as he evades Wile E. Coyote or even just because speed is fun! The roadrunner's name is Beep Beep, although it sounds like "Meep meep" when he "speaks."

I just finished a painting of a greater roadrunner (but not the cartoon one), for a collector who is accumulating a series of artworks depicting birds of the Southwestern deserts.

Meep Meep!                                                                 8" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

The scientific name is Geococcyx californianus -- "Californian earth-cuckooo". As you might guess, they are in the cuckoo family.

I decided to keep the background very simple so the roadrunner would stand out in bold relief.

Enjoy!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com