Stephanie Peters

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  • Home
  • About
    • Biography
    • Stories
    • Events/Exhibits
  • New
    • Colorful Wildlife Encounters
    • Migration - Circle Bird Paintings
    • Urban Wildlife
    • Life on the Rock
    • Icebergs
    • Spirits of the Forest
  • Natural Disasters
    • Natural Disasters
    • Volcano paintings
    • Wildfires
    • Extreme Weather: Storms, Tornadoes, Hurricanes & Lightning
  • Wildlife Pastels
    • Life on the Rock
    • Adirondacks
    • Africa
    • Arizona Desert
    • Aquatic life
    • Birds
  • Paintings
    • Series >
      • Migration - Circle Bird Paintings
      • Flying Color - Bird Paintings
      • Ocean Life
      • River Fish
      • Wildlife Paintings
      • Abstract
      • Illustrating Literature
      • The Energy of White
      • Abstract Landscapes
    • Printmaking >
      • New prints
      • Stamps
  • Buy Art
  • Contact

-Stories from the road-

Adventures, notes of inspiration, daily experiences, trips to nowhere and then somewhere, works in progress, creative discoveries, new work, tools of the trade, news from the studio, event updates, and things that make me smile or think deep thoughts...

New painting - “The Wanderer – Roseate Spoonbill”

8/7/2021

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Years ago, I became fascinated by the Everglades and everything that lived there. This is when I fell in love with Roseate Spoonbills and their funny beaks. I told Neil we needed to go to the Everglades right now to see these amazing birds. Instead, we went to the Phoenix Zoo to see them, because well the Phoenix Zoo was a bit closer to Sedona than the Everglades… it wasn’t until a few years later I finally got to see these incredible birds in the wild – in South Carolina. I still haven’t made it to the Everglades…

But it was super exciting to see them in the wild; these birds are typically only found in the southeast – so Texas to Florida and up to North Carolina. Except, lately they have been wandering. Last year, one was spotted in Gilbert, Arizona – and apparently might still be there – and more recently, they have been spotted in DC, Delaware, New York, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Maine… apparently, they didn’t get the memo that they are “southeast” birds. In many ways I get it – sometimes you just need to wander from your “home.” After all I've been doing it for years.

It might be a few more months until I get to wander to the Everglades but until then, I’ll live vicariously through the wandering spoonbill…
spoonbill painting
 “The Wanderer – Roseate Spoonbill”, mixed media 6”
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New Painting: Salad for Dinner

3/21/2021

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A few weeks ago when the ice on lake Icaria was melting, hundreds of geese and ducks were migrating through this little edge of Iowa.
canada geese flying
Picture
migrating ducks swimming
Though we mostly saw Canada geese and cackling geese, we also saw greater white-fronted geese (lifer!), wood ducks, canvas backs, ring-necked ducks, greater scaup (lifer!), lesser scaup (another lifer!), red-headed ducks, coots, pied-billed grebes, northern shovelers, mallards, common mergansers, american wigeon, green-winged teal, northern pintail, snow geese, ross's geese (and another lifer!), trumpeter swans, common golden-eye, hooded merganser, bufflehead and this strange looking bird... 
muskrat on lake icaria

which I know, I know, isn't a bird... but he is the cutest muskrat ever...

Now I love birds, most of my travels surround birds, and many, many, of my paintings, are bird inspired... but I have a very soft spot for little mammals - Squirrels, rabbits, otters, beavers, and even muskrats. So of course, this muskrat became my new favorite model over the next few weeks as we watched the birds arrive each evening on the lake.

We did of course take thousands and thousands of photos of birds for future inspiration, but I was a little distracted...
muskrat icaria lake
muskrat swimming
muskrat on ice
muskrat in iowa
muskrat eating
Which of course led to sketching the adorable fur ball...
muskrat sketches
muskrat sketch
muskrat on ice sketch

and all those sketches, led to a new pastel:

muskrat pastel painting
Salad for dinner, pastel, 13x18" More details
The ice is gone now (hello spring!!) So we haven't seen our muskrat friend around recently. And at the same time, our migrating waterfowl have moved on to the next stop on their journey to their breeding grounds. Lake Icaria is a little quieter now. But I'm still looking for our muskrat friend, because though there may be no ice to eat salad on, he'll be hanging around with us through the spring - which probably means more muskrat art to come!
muskrat on lake icaria in iowa
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2021 APAA Exhibit

3/12/2021

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I'm pleased to share that Lost Kangaroo was juried into the Annual Arizona Pastel Artist's Association's exhibition. Usually this exhibit is on display in Sedona, at the Sedona Art Center, but this year due to everything, it's virtual! Which means more people get to see it! Check out the exhibition here.
Kangaroo Art
Lost Kangaroo, 5x7"
View the exhibit
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New Pastel: Cherish - Elk & calf

2/10/2021

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Last summer, before we came to Corning, Neil and I camped around western Iowa – I know, maybe a bad idea during a pandemic, but we were safe and stuck to only our camper to avoid any contact. One of the places we camped was Botna Bend Park in Hancock, Iowa.
Botna bend park river
East Nishnabotna River
Located right next to a grain silo, Botna Bend Park is a little spot of inspiration in an otherwise non-descript ordinary rural town. Not only is the campsite right next to the West Branch East Nishnabotna River (which apparently flooded extensively in 2019) but it is home to a herd of Bison and a herd of Elk.  One of the highlights of our visit there was when we first arrived, we witnessed the first few days of an elk calf’s life. Though very late in the breeding season, we watched how the newborn calf stayed isolated from the rest of the herd during the day and then watched it start to assimilate with the group when it was ready – which occurs around 10 – 14 days.
Elk and calf
Typically, in the wild, elks give birth in the spring, but I imagine with the elk enclosed and fed well, their natural mating and birthing cycle is skewed – which could explain why we were lucky to see their interaction so late in the summer.
elk herd
elk newborn
Each morning and evening, we would go out and watch the calf and mother interact. And of course, that is where the moment that inspired this pastel came from. Though I could have been anthropomorphizing the mother elk a bit, I could see how she cared for and cherished her newborn. It was an extraordinary moment to be a part of in an otherwise ordinary little town in Iowa. Though everything is extraordinary if you really stop and observe.
Elk painting
Cherish, 15x17, Pastel
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New Pastel Painting: Oblivious

1/21/2021

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Whenever you encounter a river otter, it always seems like they are having fun. Whether they are rolling around together on the ground or diving for fish, they seem to enjoy being an otter. I’m not sure if there is another animal out there that really likes being what it is as much – well maybe cats. Cats have it made. But River otters seem to at least have a life of play. And that’s the kind of life we should all strive for. Make time for play and be oblivious to the stressors around us for at least a few hours a day.

That’s what it seemed my muse for this painting was doing, while I watched him dive in and out of the water catching fish then rolling on his back. It seemed more like he was playing with his food than eating it. No one told him it was disrespectful to play with your food and maybe that’s the secret to life, there is no bad time to play…

river otter art
Oblivious, Pastel 13.5x16.5”
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New Pastel Painting: Standing Ground

1/11/2021

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American Bison painting
Standing Ground, 8x10”, Pastel
Did you know our national mammal, aka the largest land mammal in North America - the American Bison is a keystone species? American Bison use to live across our prairie lands in the millions – some say up to 30 million bison once roamed at a time. And by grazing, they helped stimulate plant growth while their hooves packed in the soil and opened up new areas for seeds to take root. Pretty cool, huh?
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Joshua Tree National Park

1/17/2018

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When the day is free, and the winter chill is no where to be seen, the best place to be is somewhere in nature. 

January 15th 2018 was a free national park day, and for nature enthusiasts like ourselves, Neil and I felt like it was the perfect day to explore Joshua Tree National Park. I had never been, and wasn't even sure what a Joshua Tree was, but I've heard great things about the open space and colors. So we needed to see for ourselves...
For the most part, it looked like this.... (look at that blue sky!)
joshua tree national park
But there were tons and tons of rocks to climb... 
stephanie peters
To get great views like this.... 
joshua tree national park
And there were so many Joshua Trees...
joshua tree
This is a Joshua Tree
Joshua Trees are actually not trees, they are a type of Yucca, and a part of the agave plant family. They are the largest Yuccas, reaching a height of 15 to 40 feet. That's just tall... 
stephanie at a tree
Super tall...
While we were there to see the Joshua trees... we got a little distracted... 
raven & joshua tree
...a raven!
flying raven
by Ravens flying to Joshua tree tops... 
You can encounter a raven every day, and it's still a magical experience. 
Though it wasn't just Ravens that caught our attention... Jackrabbits were around too!
jackrabbit
And we also got up close and personal with a Cactus wren... 
cactus wren
Or maybe two...
cactus wrens
While we were more interested in the birds and wildlife - the landscape is something not to overlook... 
joshua tree national park view
It's the perfect playground...
joshua tree national park
walrus rock
neil
joshua tree national park
or it might be the perfect place to do your next men's clothing photo shoot
joshua tree national park
joshua tree national park
Joshua Tree National Park is split into two sides, a north and a south. We primarily stayed on the north side where the Joshua Trees were. But the south side is still quite beautiful, littered with Cholla Cacti.  
cholla cactus
We spent the entire time playing rather than doing any plein-air drawing or sketching. But I did manage to create an oil pastel sketch of Joshua Tree National Park, for my daily drawing.
joshua tree national park
Joshua Tree National Park is located right outside Palm Springs, California. It is where two deserts merge together, the Mohave and the Colorado. It is open all year, and the visitor center has some great information about where to hike, camp or drive. It is definitely worth a trip if you are in the neighborhood. 
joshua tree national park evening
Photos were taken by Neil Rizos and myself. 
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Drawing Muscovy Ducks at Papago Park

10/29/2017

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When I was a kid, my uncle had a Muscovy duck. I think his name was Phillip.

Muscovy duck
This is not the real Phillip... this duck lives at Papago Park in Phoenix

Every time I see these ducks at Papago Park in Phoenix,
​I like to think they are all named Phillip too.

Muscovy duck phoenix
Another fake Phillip living at Papago Park

This weekend, I spent some time drawing these characters from life.

Drawing birds from life
Muscovy duck pastel
Muscovy duck drawing
With their bright red bumpy heads and black and white feathers, that have highlights of green and turquoise in the sun, these ducks are something to look at. Quirky but beautiful. Muscovy ducks originate from South America and are a tropical bird. The ones found at Papago Park, and in most backyards or parks across the USA are a domestic version that has its origins in the pre-Colombian period. The true Muscovy duck is all black with a little bit of white on their wings. I've never had the opportunity to see them in the wild but I think it's pretty cool to be able to go down the street to a local park, and at least see these fun looking birds sleeping in the afternoon Phoenix sun.
Recently, I've been inspired by my encounters with wildlife that thrives in unusually urban environments. Invasive or native, our ecosystems are complicated and filled with a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, bugs and more that somehow balance with 'man.' And some, thrive. Like this domestic Muscovy duck seems to at Papago Park.
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Desert Wildlife

8/29/2017

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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
Javalina
Quail
Gambel 's Quail

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

Picture
Mourning Dove
Picture
Desert Cottontail

And with a little color...

Picture

​I'm sharing their personalities on paper. 

ground squirrel
Round tailed ground squirrel
blue bunny
Blue Bunny (Desert Cottontail)
jackrabbit
The Great Hare (Jackrabbit)
cactus wren
Cactus Wren
coyote
Coyote
roadrunner
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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