Category: Studio

Desert Wildlife

I live in the desert. It's hot, dry, and always sunny. It's known for scorpions and prickly cactus. But it's also known for some pretty cool animals and birds...

Javalina

Gambel 's Quail

Lately, I've been taking notice,
and getting inspired by the visitors in my backyard...

Mourning Dove

Desert Cottontail

And with a little color...

I'm sharing their personalities on paper.

Round tailed ground squirrel

Blue Bunny (Desert Cottontail)

The Great Hare (Jackrabbit)

Cactus Wren

Coyote

Roadrunner

From coyotes to roadrunners, and the curious cottontail I've named Cosmo, Arizona is far from a dry, desolate desert filled with things that hurt you...

Although, we do have rattlesnakes...

I'm excited to see and share where this collection goes... and looking forward to who stops by next!

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This past fall, a little known Jellyfish called the Australian white spotted jellyfish or Phyllorhiza punctata was found off the coast of San Diego...

Found on Flickr by Matteo Tarenghi

Normally seen off the coast of Australia, this was a bit strange.
It was also strange when they invaded the Gulf of Mexico in 2000, and again in 2007...

Apparently, Jellyfish can 'cling' to boats and other vessels to transport themselves into new regions. This is how they sprang up out of no where outside of San Diego, and how they populated the Gulf. Due to their behavior, and lack of heart, brain, and pretty much everything else we define as intelligent, Jellyfish can adapt and survive in any environment. They thrive in the most extreme conditions such as near underwater volcanoes or in the arctic ocean. Jellyfish as a species are remarkable but they are also a symbol of a devastating change in our oceans. As we all know, pollution, climate change, oil spills, etc. are causing a major shift in ecosystems around the world, and even creating dead zones in the ocean. But for Jellyfish--- Dead zones are paradise:

"Dead Zones are huge swaths of deep ocean that are ultra-polluted and oxygen starved. Unable to breathe in Dead Zones, most sea creatures, such as fish and shellfish, either flee or die. But jellyfish thrive in Dead Zones. How? By playing unique metabolic tricks.

For example, jellyfish can dissolve oxygen in their watery tissues, and thereby carry built-in, life-sustaining oxygen supplies into Dead Zones. (Jellyfish are 95 percent water; humans are 65 percent water.)

Moreover, jellyfish in Dead Zones face few predators and competitors that would otherwise control their numbers. Feasting on ubiquitous plankton, jellyfish not only survive but actually dominate many Dead Zones.

The Earth currently has more than 400 Dead Zones--some of which cover tens of thousands of square miles. Many Dead Zones are so jellified that they could rightly be renamed Jellyfish Zones. The U.S. has Dead Zones in the Gulf of Mexico, the Chesapeake Bay, Narragansett Bay, Long Island Sound and the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon coast." - National Science Foundation

Dangerous little Jellyfish...

I personally find them beautiful, as they dance through the water, up and down with grace and poise. But, they are deadly... Some Jellyfish like the Box Jellyfish can instantly (okay in minutes..) kill you with their stings. And if that's not bad enough, jellyfish can wipe out the bottom layer of an ecosystem. They are opportunists and will eat everything from plankton to small fish. Even large ones, leaving no creature to survive to adulthood to then reproduce. Leaving only Jellyfish to survive. Beautiful but dangerous.

Taken at Monterey Aquarium, July 2014

Recently, the idea that Jellyfish represent a negative change in our oceans has resonated with me. If only jellyfish can survive what climate change, pollution, etc. is doing to our oceans-- then mass swarms of jellyfish are not only beautiful -- but dangerous. And it got me thinking, that perhaps an invasion of Jellyfish is what we need to pull our climate change talks into action.. or maybe I just like painting jellyfish.. but it has gotten me thinking about a new series -- an invasion of jellyfish - unmasking the beauty and revealing the danger. So I've been working on some sketches and miniature paintings of jellyfish in preparation for large enormous over-sized jellyfish, to symbolize just how dangerous a jellyfish, or a group, can be.

Here are some of these sketches...

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Raven in progress

11/5/2015

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At my new studio, located at the Manheim Gallery in Cottonwood, I'm working on a new abstract -- but not really that abstract -- painting --- but its more of a mixed media painting with charcoal --work of art.
Right now, it is very much in the work in progress stage, but here is the progress so far...

Stage one -- Find inspiration..

A few weeks ago, I visited the area around Sunset Crater (near Flagstaff) in hopes to do a little plein air painting of the lava rocks.
Because I defiantly ignored the weather warnings of 20% rain -- it down poured... soaking any possibility to paint. However, the stormy afternoon opened up into a beautiful stormy sky to photograph. So we sat in the car, keeping dry and eating our snacks, and every so often snapping a few incredible moments of double rainbows....

Smoky stormy clouds...

and Ravens flying through...

Stage two -- start painting

So this past week or so, I couldn't get the image of the raven flying out of my head. Or the colors of that day. So I had an idea, I would paint the landscape from memory. First I would try to remember three colors that stuck out to me.. the grayish blueish sky, the sage green, and the yellow ochre -- then go all Mark Rothko, and plot in the landscape with the three colors...

Stage three - add some charcoal... who doesn't love charcoal and getting messy?

Then, after the background was plotted in, I decided I would draw the raven large in the foreground, using charcoal.. I chose to add a raven flying left to right, similar to a flying raven I took a picture of last summer in my backyard as it was creating a nest.

Stage four -- add color, texture, some more paint, more charcoal...
and maybe the kitchen sink too...

After I added my exaggerated raven in the foreground.. I then started adding in some blue, green, and other colors that I just felt were necessary -- taking the painting on a little tangent away from my original inspiration..

So that's where I am - in the middle of a work in progress. It's a refreshing feeling, starring at a painting that has millions of possibilities and directions, but it feels scary too. The final stage is far from near. And hard to see, especially now when it looks more like a messy thought than a cohesive work of art.

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THE MANHEIM GALLERY STUDIO

11/3/2015

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Here is my new studio at THE MANHEIM GALLERY in Cottonwood, AZ! For the next couple of months or longer, I am the artist in residence at the Manheim gallery. Come visit and see what I'm working on... Gallery hours: Wednesday through Sat 11-4pm. I'll be here regularly, especially on Thursdays.

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Stephanie Peters

-Stories from the road-

Desert Wildlife

Desert Wildlife

I live in the desert. It's hot, dry, and always sunny. It's known for scorpions and prickly cactus. But it's also known for some pretty cool animals and birds...

Lately, I've been taking notice,
and getting inspired by the visitors in my backyard...

And with a little color...

I'm sharing their personalities on paper.

From coyotes to roadrunners, and the curious cottontail I've named Cosmo, Arizona is far from a dry, desolate desert filled with things that hurt you...

Although, we do have rattlesnakes...

jellyfish sketches

This past fall, a little known Jellyfish called the Australian white spotted jellyfish or Phyllorhiza punctata was found off the coast of San Diego...

Dangerous little Jellyfish...

Here are some of these sketches...

Raven in progress

Stage one -- Find inspiration..

Smoky stormy clouds...

and Ravens flying through...

Stage two -- start painting

Stage three - add some charcoal... who doesn't love charcoal and getting messy?

Stage four -- add color, texture, some more paint, more charcoal...
and maybe the kitchen sink too...

THE MANHEIM GALLERY STUDIO

Join my newsletter for the latest news

See what I'm saying on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram:

Stephanie Peters

-Stories from the road-

Desert Wildlife

Desert Wildlife

I live in the desert. It's hot, dry, and always sunny. It's known for scorpions and prickly cactus. But it's also known for some pretty cool animals and birds...

Lately, I've been taking notice, ​and getting inspired by the visitors in my backyard...

And with a little color...

​I'm sharing their personalities on paper.

From coyotes to roadrunners, and the curious cottontail I've named Cosmo, Arizona is far from a dry, desolate desert filled with things that hurt you...

Although, we do have rattlesnakes... ​

jellyfish sketches﻿

This past fall, a little known Jellyfish called the Australian white spotted jellyfish or Phyllorhiza punctata was found off the coast of San Diego...

Dangerous little Jellyfish...

Here are some of these sketches...

Raven in progress

Stage one -- Find inspiration..

Smoky stormy clouds...

and Ravens flying through...

Stage two -- start painting

Stage three - add some charcoal... who doesn't love charcoal and getting messy?

Stage four -- add color, texture, some more paint, more charcoal...​ and maybe the kitchen sink too...

THE MANHEIM GALLERY STUDIO﻿

Join my newsletter for the latest news

See what I'm saying on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram:

Lately, I've been taking notice,
and getting inspired by the visitors in my backyard...

I'm sharing their personalities on paper.

Although, we do have rattlesnakes...

jellyfish sketches

Stage four -- add color, texture, some more paint, more charcoal...
and maybe the kitchen sink too...

THE MANHEIM GALLERY STUDIO