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An Endangered (EN) species is a species which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as likely to become extinct. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the best-known worldwide conservation status listing and ranking system. Over 50% of the world’s species are estimated to be at risk of extinction

Those species of “Near Threatened” (NT) and “Least Concern” (LC) status have been assessed and found to have relatively robust and healthy populations, though these may be in decline.

Least concern (LC)
No immediate threat to species’ survival.
Examples: American crow, Indian peafowl, bald eagle, Canada goose, mute swan, red-tailed hawk, rock pigeon scarlet macaw

Under the Endangered Species Act in the United States, species may be listed as “endangered” or threatened. Over-hunting and fishing has been a large and dangerous problem. Of all the species who became extinct due to interference from mankind, the dodo, passenger pigeon, great auk, Tasmanian tiger and Steller’s sea cow are some of the more well known examples; with the bald eagle, grizzly bear, American bison, Eastern timber wolf and sea turtle having been hunted to near-extinction. However, due to major efforts to prevent extinction, the bald eagle, or Haliaeetus leucocephalus is now under the category of Least Concern on the red list

The theme of my exhibit is All Birds Bright and Beautiful. So, why am I starting off with an image of the feral cat that I personally domesticated?

Well, I also hope to give my readers some information on local native birds and the environmental hazards they face. And I’d like to let you know what YOU can do to help our beautiful birds. So, let’s get started!

Waiting For Supper
Watercolor Batik, 11x14”
by Napa Valley Artist Ann Nunziata
The US feral cat population is estimated at 60 million. These cats kill one to four billion birds annually in the contiguous US.
You can help- Spay / neuter your pets to reduce over population and keep your cat indoors.

I just could not get this blog to work correctly, so my main blob is on WordPress. Here is a direct link.
http://www.flyingpigdesign.com

Maybe I'm a bit slow, but it just seems to me that this "blog" feature here is not a real blog. A blog or weblog should have a single title or topic and then you should be able to post to it on a periodic basis. You should see an archive and the posts should appear sequentially.

Thanks for your interest,
Ann

Next month, I hope you’ll join me for the April Art in the Library Reception. It’s easy to remember the date because it will be Friday the 13th! I will be presenting my most recent work in my watercolor batik medium.

In the meantime, I will be blogging about each of my new pieces. My theme is All Birds Bright and Beautiful and will focus on local native birds. Follow my blog here or at www.FlyingPigDesign.com to discover why my exhibit on birds starts out with an image of a feral cat!

The Napa County Library invites artists to apply to a juried competition with award winners’ work displayed in the Napa Main Library.  All two-dimensional work including photography, paintings, drawings, digital, mixed media, fabric art, chalk, ink, pastels, wax, graphite and printmaking can be entered for consideration. There is no fee.

Deadline this year is March 31st, 2018. Visit https://www.countyofnapa.org/2270/2018-2019-Art-Call for more information

Napa County Library  |  580 Coombs Street  | Napa, CA 94559

An art workshop is a great opportunity to improve your artistic skills or learn new ones. Now is the time to look for a great 2018 art workshop experience.
The resources I list here are by no means comprehensive; they are simply the venues I enjoyed previous years. More extensive reviews of each one will follow, but I first I'd like to provide you with a short summary so you can plan your own workshop now. Many popular courses are almost or already full, so you should not delay.
Be sure to consider the style of the workshop. Before you jump in, try to find examples of the instructors work to make sure you will be learning something that you will actually enjoy. The challenge of a workshop can turn into a nightmare if you don't like what you are doing. I've found occasionally that the style of the image associated with the workshop listing may not be the intended style of that particular course.
Also, try to determine if there are any costs that aren't obvious. Materials, travel and lodging can add up to an unpleasant surprise if you don't know what they will be. I've always looked at the materials list of a course before I sign up so that I can determine how much more I might have to spend.
Listings for some of my previous workshops
Online Instruction
Improve My Paintings (http://improvemypaintings.com), Johannes Vloothuis. This North Lights Shop designated Master Painter regularly offers free demo courses followed by 12 hours of instruction over 3 Saturdays for only $19.95. Live viewing not required.

Yosemite Art Center
The Yosemite Art Center offers a workshop Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm, and two– hour beginner workshops on Sunday, 1:30 – 3:30 pm.
website: Yosemite Art Center (http://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/yosemite-art- center)
Look for the link to "View our 2018 Arts Schedule" to see a PDF file of all visiting instructors from March to October.

Pt Reyes National Seashore Association Field Institute
PRNSA offers a whole host of courses in the arts, photography and nature studies. PRNSA (http://www.ptreyes.org/)
PRNSA Arts Class Listings (http://www.ptreyes.org/camps-classes-programs/field- institute/class-topics/arts)

Birgit O'Connor
website (Birgit O'Connor (http://www.birgitoconnor.com/)
While Birgit is best know for her large floral watercolors, she also offers instruction in field studies, water, clouds and atmospheric landscapes. Her venues within driving distance include PRNSA and The Calistoga Spa Hotsprings. Her website lists her workshop schedule, DVDs and streaming video purchase or rental options. She also has several online classes available.

As our home was being built, we lived in a trailer- FOR SIX YEARS! The cramped quarters were tough, but we did get up close to lots of wildlife on the farm. I enjoyed watching local birds so much that I joined the local chapter of the Audubon society so I could learn to identify them. This painting of House Finches is part of my MOTHERS series.

This version of our sailing vessel Anomaly is on a different type of rice paper and the sunset became more emphasized as a result. There are really some beautiful sunsets in the Bahamas, but they don't last very long in those lower latitudes. Painting them is one way to enjoy them longer.

I really admire those of you who have made the commitment to create a painting a day. I would love to do that, but somehow I always get distracted by the chores of the day. Often, it is the computer task of the day. And I do love my garden, so much so that a friend declared it is really my true job.

But, in preparation for my participation in Napa Valley Open Studioss I realize there is a daily task that I have a good chance of completing. I hereby resolve to FRAME and publish one piece of art or photo until open in day September 20th. I have SO MANY pieces that are either sitting ready to be framed, or just need one little tweak before I can declare it done. I feel hopeful that I can accomplish this task.

The countdown will be 30 pieces, and actually I started on August 21st, so I will do several posts successively to "catch up" to today. So here goes:

Day 30- Anomaly Batik #1 was already published on FB. This artwork was inspired by a similar piece I saw at Highbourne Cay, Exuma by artist Godfrey Thomas

It's delightful for me and maybe not so much for the passengers when the hot air balloons over gliding over the Napa Valley get a bit off track. You can see them on most calm early mornings and often I'm out walking then. These came the closest to my home so far.

I thought I'd try another version of Anomaly in watercolor on Arches 140#. It came out with a clean, crisp look.