I Think I LIKE Wading BIRDS better than ALL the REST

Even as a kid, I was always drawing and watching those slender graceful wading birds. I loved the magnificent Great Blue Herons that would rise up from the creek, startled by me making too much noise chasing a snapping turtle. I would watch, astounded, as the big dark wings beat the air and that long neck and beak reminding me of some prehistoric pterodactyl as the beautiful large bird flapped down the waterway and landed a safe distance from my intrusive presence........................................................................................So that is one reason why i love their mystery and their impressive beauty. I keep coming back to drawing, painting, and creating art of the wading birds, the herons, the egrets, storks, cranes, and even flamingos.......................................................................................Here are the tedious steps using color pencil layering to create one of the most beautiful slender necked waders, The Tri-Colored Heron, frequently seen right here along the Dickinson Bayou on the Gulf Coast of Texas...........................................................................................Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........Other news: The Awards Banquet for my Distinguished Alumni Award at Space Center Houston is Coming up, October 6th! I am nervous, to receive such a honorable award. .................................................................................................ALso in October is the fabulous Art FEstival on Galveston Island attracting close to 30,000 people, ARTSTOBERFEST. I will have my booth tent with TONS of my wildlife prints and art on display for SALE. COme on out to the festival and visit with me. Thanks for tuning in, DOUG HISER

Book Festivals -a great place for ART and BOOKS!

It has been a WILD 2 Weekends of signing my books and selling my ART!..........................................................................................First in Tyler at the East Texas Book Fest and then last weekend in Giddings, Texas at the 7th Annual Word Wrangler Festival. I have to tell you that NOBODY takes better care of their invited AUTHORS than the people in the CITY of GIDDINGS!======================================================================================Funny story that happened to me Thursday night! I left the author banquet and headed to my hotel-The Ramamda Inn-which i had already stopped by on the way into town and picked up my key. SO I go to my hotel and park in front of my room # 123 and get out and -DANG it --my key won't open the hotel room door! SO-- i start to walk around front to the OFFICE- after trying the key numerous times! When i get to the front I look up at the sign-EXECUTIVE INN--OOPS! I am at the wrong hotel-no wonder my key doesn't work! the two hotels both have red signs and are very close to each other- I bet I'm not the first person to do this!!I felt like an idiot!! HA HA! ....................................................................................................................................................................................I read one of my all time favorite short stories to the students from the local schools, "The Woodville Monster" which I know so well I don't even have to read I end up telling the story and being very dramatic instead of reading!! Kids love scary funny stories!! I love speaking to students about great books and the wonderful world of reading--GIVE me my soapbox and I tell them how I started reading and WHY they all should NOT MISS OUT on reading all the great books out there!! I talked about Journey to the Center of the EArth, Old Yeller, the TARZAn books, Rudyard Kipling and on and on....The students like all the animal art and the occasional superhero art I have and how many times did i hear from the little ones, "You are a very good drawer." SO instead of an artist i should just say I am a professional DRAW-ER!"..................................................................................................................................................................................I am proud to have sold the "GREEN SEA TURTLE" painting there too! Good sales and I only returned with about half of all the prints I brought and books sales were great. Now is the time for restocking my art prints and getting more mats and organizing everything for ARTSTOBERFEST in Galveston!! The BIG ART fest! I am so looking forward to 30,000 people in 2 days on the ISLAND looking at the ART FEST! I LOVE meeting people that love ART, the conversations alone are worth the weekend

osetting up and staying outside in my tent all day!!

EAST TEXAS BOOK FEST !!

A day after the East Texas Book Fest at the UT campus Tyler and I am just reflecting on meeting all the many authors and readers that strolled through the center on Saturday. it is always an odd mix of many different kinds of people-almost as varied as those strolling through an airport! I signed copies and sold my books, The Honey Bee Girl, Montana Mist, Cavern of the Eggstone, and Tropical Calypso, and also sold many of my wildlife ART prints too! SOLD my RAVEN painting too!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ONE of the highlights of the day was meeting and getting to hang out with New York Times Bestselling Author Taylor Stevens. She is an amazing individual and an author you NEED to Check out! http://www.taylorstevensbooks.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------My favorite Texas Author didn't attend this year and I missed talking to Joe Lansdale!! His books are fabulous! ____________________________________________________________________________________________NEXT WEEKEND I will be at the 7th Annual Word Wrangler Book Fest in Giddings Texas- my 6th YEAR in a row! It is one of my favorite places to attend! The people there are awesome and so friendly and helpful to all the attending authors. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------My Art CLub is underway and we will be starting our first activities Monday! Teaching HS ART is keeping me extra busy and my time for producing my own art and writing has been dwindling down to almost nothing, but i did find a few minutes to work more on the ORYX painting-almost finished-just the animals and part of the clouds to paint. Here is some of my sketchbook pages and the unfinished Oryx painting:

Another SKetchbook filled up!

Summer is slowly ending and with the start of the new school year my sketchbooks have been getting increasing use! Planning the school year, teaching three different levels of Art is a challenge, and then I still try to find time for working out at the gym daily, playing soccer, and squeezing in somewhere time for my OWN ARTWORK!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recent work, The Kenya Tryptich, the Baby Mara Elephant, and the Colorado Bighorn Ram are ALL hanging in the Gallery at the Brazosport Center for the ARTS at Brazosport college until the end of September. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 8th I will be one of the Featured Artists for the 2nd year at the EAST TEXAS BOOK FEST at the university of Texas Tyler. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 14th The 7th Annual Word Wrangler festival featuring Texas authors beckons and I will be there for my 6th year in a row!! I love that FESTIVAL!! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OCtober 6th! My special night!! I am extremely excited and honored to attend the University of Houston CL ALumni Awards Banquet at SPace Center Houston. I will be receiving the award for Distinguished ALumni UHCL. The emotion I am feeling and the anticipation of making my parents and family proud is so amazing! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - October 21st weekend--I PASSED THE aRT JURY INSPECTION!! AND WILL BE ONE OF THE artists FEATURED AT ARTOBERFEST in GALVESTON!! YAY over 30,000 art lovers and buyers attend this fabulous weekend on Galveston Island! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Here are some recent sketchbook pages and the partial watercolor painting of the Arabian Oryx underway - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Signup to follow my blog or follow me on facebook--or just stay in touch, read my books, enjoy my art creations it is so wondefful to have friends along for the ride. :) Thank you ALL, Doug Hiser