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

 

The Beauty of Autumn Colors

Sometimes I think I must be part duck. When autumn hits, I get this excitement that I can't explain. If I were a duck, maybe I'd want to migrate! (But I don't feel like going anywhere). 😀

But autumn is the start of an entire holiday season, each with its own look and feel. Autumn itself is kind of a holiday to me -- cooler temperatures (except here in the desert!) and the harmonious color combination of reds, oranges and yellows -- again, not as much in the desert.

Autumn never used to be a big deal to me until I discovered duck prints -- images of different species of ducks (with mallards being my favorites) set against fall landscapes and marshes, typically as hunters might like to see them.

I'm not a hunter, but I happen to love mallard ducks -- alive, not to eat!

So I painted a Colorado autumn scene with a small group of mallard ducks swimming peacefully in a pond. Somewhat imaginary, but it wouldn't be unheard of to stumble across a scene like this:

Aspen Pond            10" x 08" / 25cm x 20cm

I also finished a painting of a rufous hummingbird. I don't associate them with fall, but ya gotta admit: they ARE fall-colored!

 

Rufous Hummingbird          08" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

I already have someone who is interested in this piece; Aspen Pond may appear on my website, or I may just keep it. I have to decide.

My website URLs, by the way, are www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com.

Enjoy the colors of the season!

Mark Junge

 

King of the Whole Wide World

King of the Whole Wide World: Gambel's Quail is my latest painting.

It also happens to be the title of a song by Elvis Presley that he sang in his movie, Kid Galahad. I always liked the title, tho' and somehow it seemed appropriate for a male quail calling out to the world.

Size is 08" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm, acrylic on panel. I think I already have a buyer for it!!

Paradise Found

I FINALLY finished a painting that I started months ago following our whirlwind trip to Hawaii last October.

Paradise Found, 30" x 40" /  76.2cm x 101.6cm

 

Paradise Found (Detail)

The scene is based loosely on Tunnels Beach (aka Makua Beach) on the northeastern shores of Kauai. (We didn't make it there, but the pictures I saw made the distant mountains irresistible). Rather than going into a strict rendering of how Tunnels Beach looks, I added a lot of fantasy to the scene to make it into a "paradise found": a world that I would want to escape to; just beauty and peace everywhere; in a land inhabited by nice, caring people; music and dancing that stirs the soul and landscapes of unimaginable serenity and magic.

Of course, I doubt there ever was such a place as this, and especially not in modern times. Even Hawaii struck me as being a paradise lost but with some of its beauty remaining.

I had intended the vahine walking toward us to be an actual person, but she's small enough in the painting (3.5" / 8.9cm) where getting that tiny face to look like someone just didn't work.

Also, many of the plants I depicted would not grow this close to the shore -- too intolerant of the salt spray. But: it IS MY fantasy!!

And the tiki -- well, it looks like a pregnant female. She may be a goddess of fertility or something like that. I added it just to give more Polynesian flavor to the image. The dancers and drummers are definitely Tahitian, but this is not intended to be any real place.

I have other imaginary "paradise found" places in my head, too. Maybe someday I'll meet you there!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com 

The Good News and the Bad News

 The good news and the bad news...

First, the good news -- I sold a painting off of my website (which, in case you forgot, is www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com)! Totally unexpected. Surprises like that are nice!

This is the piece that sold:

Hooded Oriole                                                      08" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

(The red dot in the lower right corner means it sold!!)

Now for the bad news...

I keep reading (mostly on Facebook) a lot of stuff about the political situation in this country, along with some rather vicious attacks on people who -- in all good faith -- happen to disagree with them. I've been the victim of such attacks myself.

And it's getting to me. I feel so discouraged all the time, and it's getting worse. I'd leave Facebook if it wasn't for the good stuff -- information from real friends, artwork others have posted, stuff like that.

But maybe the good news isn't worth dealing with the bad. I've got some serious thinking to do. (Sigh......)

Mark Junge

Half Over!

Well, good grief! June is already over with, and I realized I didn't write ANYthing for the entire month!

As if that ain't bad enough -- I realized the year is half over, and there's so much to do yet!!!

I guess when one is old and (mostly) retired, one just doesn't do as much as one used to!

June was a month of: 1.) sometimes not doing anything, and: 2.) continuing to unpack and work on stuff from our move last August. We -- ME, mostly -- never really had time to sort through things, empty boxes and maybe getting rid of stuff we moved that we really don't need anymore!

So I did paint, but I didn't finish anything.

So, since it's summer, maybe I'll just post a pic of a painting I did a couple of years ago that shows summer (but not how summer looks in southern California!), and by next month, I should have new works to post.

Summer Pastoral                  acrylic/panel                 16" x 20" / 40.6cm x 50.8cm

I hope your Independence Day was fun and uplifting. Thank you for your support!

Mark Junge
www.SouthwestSpaces.com or www.MarkJunge.com