Houston Art Show!

Beautiful Friday and Saturday-Friday at the Bayou CIty Art Festival was wonderful-and I got to talk to many of my old "long time no see artist friends." I brought a group of students-Art CLub- from ym school and they loved the experience. The artists at the festival took the time to show my students techniques and info on how they had made their art. It was a great experience learning and observing!
Saturday I entered 4 Art pieces into the Houston Art Society show to try and qualify for the May State COnvention Art show in May and was surpirsed to find that all 4 pieces won awards and qualified for the State Show!
The pieces were: "Lone Bull"-my big 24 x 36 elephant, "winter fox" watercolor-(which I wasn't even going to bring but my wife loves it so she talked me into it), "San Jacinto"-my altered book, and my ink piece "Nature's Angel."
It was a long two days of art shows and now I just want to rest -well-after i get this ink "Cougar-mountain lion" for U of Houston matted and framed for their Breast Cancer charity auction.

Red Shouldered HAWKS!

YES today was an awesome day! After my workout I went for a walk in the woods near my home. I heard them before I saw them-Hawk screams- multiple birds- I then saw 2 red shouldered hawks fly out of the piney woods and shoot fast by- over my head, both screaming at each other. I got to watch their flying in and out of the woods and over my head and over the trees- all the while piercing the quiet woods with their loud cries- I saw 4 hawks in all and it was a beautiful moment-WISH you coulda been there! I finished my walk home and picked at least 10 different kinds of wildflowers for my wife. Here is one of my favorite paintings-the Red shouldered Hawk from Bay City, Texas.

Dolphin Fin!

I worked a bit on my Stick and Wire Sculpture today--Okay... so what started out as a whale made of sticks has changed--that's right I decided to make a dolphin because I wanted it to have a mighty fin.
I am also hafway completed with the U of Houston Cougar for the Breast Cancer game auction.
I just got in two enormous canvases today-that was exciting for me. I did some Orca sketching also and a sleeping Caracal. This Saturday I have a few pieces in an Art show in Northwest Houston-trying to qualify for the National Art Show.
The Black Wildebeasts and black backed Jackal piece in 2/3 of the way complete.
And LAST note: I'll be at THE BAYOU CITY ART FEST Friday!!

Alligator attacks!

This weekend was an adventure at two of the nearby Texas Wildlife refuges-Brazoria Wildlife Refuge and San Bernard Wildlife Refuge. we took the road trip on Friday - a nice Spring morning.
Our first assault at San Bernard refuge came in the form of MASSIVE Squadrons of Mosquitos!! They were beating on the truck windows like a small army of ZOMBIES trying to get in at us. Outside they swarmed our faces, up my nose, ears, biting our legs - I had to get dressed up in sweat pants and a windbreaker to fight off their vicious attack.
That refuge was full of mosquitos but also full of TEN FEET PLUS -LONG BIG ALLIGATORS! SO we endured the mosquitos for the birding and the big gator sightings.
Our next stop was the Lake Jackson SEA CENTER- which is a nice little aquarium and nature trail-and no mosquitos.
Finally after a chicken fried steak at the Country CAFE- we found our way to Brazoria Wildlife Refuge.
We thanked the Lord God that this place was relatively free of the mosquito swarms. Not as many gators but we did encounter the "devil Gator" who proceeded to attack my truck and even attempted to climb under it. Gayln was in the truck bed trying to get photos while he hissed like Godzilla and snapped and rolled at us. I rolled up the window when he got too close each time.
Finally he slid back away from us and watched us with an evil face from the water.
Quite a fun trip- with sightings of Caracaras, Harriers, Kestrels, egrets, herons, coots, grebes, shovelers, pintails, teals, and many many more.

Waterfall

JUST finished the ELEPHANT Waterfall painting and it was a difficult thing to do without much space to work-since my art studio is ONE BIG GIANT MESS-as construction workers are repairing damage to the front of my house--uh- it isn't level so they have to repair the beams and then fix the sheetrock-etc.....
I am also over halfway finished with my 16 x 20 ink piece with the little jackal facing the three black wildebeasts.
I gatherd a truck bed full of tree limbs and branches and hauled them off to my ART ROOM for NEXT week's Stick sculpturing project.
I can't wait to see student's faces when they walk into my room and see the mountain of tree limbs piled up!!
Enojy the coming Spring weather and all the bird migrants coming through the Gul Coast of Texas !!!

New WILDEBEAST

ANOTHER RAINY morning and i cannot gather sticks for our next sculpture project! SO I am sketch-planning an new 16 x 20 ink piece.
Here is the first idea sketch where I am still working out details and options. Three big black wildebeasts facing off against a curious leopard. I might change the leopard to a black panther or maybe to a lion? hyena? jackal? hmm jackal sounds cool. i'll do some more sketches and decide.
I like the Wildebeast's positions though, background could change -so many possibilities- I do like the mass of foliage over the animal to offset the big horned beasts. Any suggestions?
DOUG HISER

Spring Break Art and Book News!

Spring Break here in Texas arrived with a weekend full of thunderstorms and lightning that hit three planes at the airport. After two of favorite paintings have been transferred to canvas, the "Nomad" bull elephant and the Acrylic painting of "San Jacinto" the Native American warrior, both 24 x 36, I am halfway to finishing the new elephant waterfall painting which is also large 24 x 36.
An announcement of the other side of my world is that my 2006 novel, The Honey Bee Girl, has just gone over 40,000 readers, and I want to thank each and every one of you that read the book and also thank those who have read my newest novel, Montana Mist, which just received another wonderful review!
Not only do i want to thank my readers but especially those that promote and share my books with others-this is how the legend grows and the books get a bigger audience.
here are few pieces of art to look at for my friends who only want the pictures.
Today we go shopping for the telephoto lens for our camera and the trip to Africa this summer.

The New Elephant

Tomorrow I start painting the NEW ELEPHANT. YES, the one with the jungle and the waterfall background. I am excited because I really have high hopes for this one- I hope it turns out like I imagine-but then again they never do.
I am still working on the Tarot animal cards-up to about 10 of them so far-12 more of the Major Arcana to go.
I am still planning my Art shows this Spring! I know I have the Texas City Art Fest April 14th and the National Society Artists Show in Kemah coming up along with Bayou City Arts Fest in March.
I am still pondering the Port Aransas Art Show in April and the South Padre Beach Comber Arts Show in July.
So much planinng to do and also much more stuff to take care of before we go to Africa in June! Take Care--DOUG HISER

NEW ART CARDS!

SO---along with my art classes I am attempting to create a series of animal Tarot cards. This is harder than it looks-trying to capture the meaning of the card using an animal-so much easier using people like ALL the other Artist's Tarot decks on the planet!
I will share a few of the cards on my blog and on my FB page. Thanks for reading or even-like SOME people-just looking at the pictures! Doug Hiser

UpComing Art Shows!

The Spring Art Season is here and I've already missed an important deadline. I am so sad I missed registering for the Wimberley Arts Festival. It was my favorite Show last year.
Now that the Visual Arts Event is over maybe I can be more attentive and get my work in the upcoming shows.
Saturday, March 10th is the National Society of Artist's Show in Kemah. This is a nice little show that I love participating in every year.
Saturday April 14th is a show that I have missed the last couple of years but I hope I can get in this year and remember the date if it doesn't conflict with my schedule, this would be the Texas City Arts Festival.
March 23rd I will be at the Bayou City Art Fest with my Art Club in tow. I always love this day and now let's just pray it doesn't rain- since the show is outside in Memorial Park.
My small painting shown here is one of my new illustrated Tarot images "The High Priestess" which features animals, of course.