About this project

The seasons ebb and flow in rhythm with the tides. Assateague Island, a tiny barrier island on the Atlantic Coast of Maryland and Virginia, is continuously being reshaped by wind and ocean waves. Home to Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, the island’s pristine beaches, maritime forests, salt and freshwater marshes are fragile but vital habitats for a spectacular variety of birds, plants and animals. Because of its key position on the Atlantic Flyway, songbirds, shorebirds and raptors migrate through the refuge in spring and fall, stopping to rest and refuel. Large numbers of herons, egrets and ducks summer on the refuge and winter brings thousands of Brandt and Snow Geese and numerous species of ducks. Animals that live on the island include whitetail deer, red fox, river otters, endangered Delmarva fox squirrels, Sika elk and the famous Chincoteague ponies, survivors from a Spanish ship that ran aground during a storm in 1750. The United Nations has designated Assateague as a World Biosphere Reserve and the U.S. Department of the Interior has designated it a National Natural Landmark.

As a wildlife artist, I feel that my role is to reveal the unique beauty, power and grace of each creature that shares our world. My paintings are extraordinarily realistic, intimate portraits that emphasize the character and detail of each animal. With the support of this funding, I’ll create a series of approximately 20 small but very detailed paintings depicting the wildlife on Assateague Island during each of the four seasons. I will make numerous trips to Assateague beginning in the winter of 2011 and continuing through fall 2012 to photograph and sketch the wildlife for reference material and will complete the majority of the paintings by early 2013.

Incandescent. Great Egret. 5x7" Acrylic on Gessobord.

My goal is to inspire a new level of respect for every living creature and the recognition of how intricately the health and well-being of the natural world are woven into the fabric of our own survival. I hope to encourage people to slow down and observe the individuality of each animal with a fresh outlook. Until we truly see, we cannot fully understand the devastation that is occurring through loss of habitat and vanishing species. Seeing fosters thinking; thinking fosters action.

So, this is where you come in! Please help me bring this project to fruition. Your contribution will finance: travel expenses to Assateague Island; art supplies and high-quality custom frames that complement each painting; the creation of the various rewards; production of a book of my paintings and photographs from Assateague Island; and the Kickstarter/Amazon fees. Kickstarter projects are all-or-nothing funding so I’ll only receive your pledges if my total project goal is met, but you can always pledge more than my goal. Once my project is funded, I will contact the Chincoteague NWR Visitor Center, as well as local and regional art galleries about hosting an exhibition of the paintings. You’ll be invited to the reception and a list of my contributors will be prominently displayed! 

Here are a few more examples of my framed paintings.  Enjoy and thank you for your interest and support!

Cougar Portrait.  6x6" Acrylic on Gessobord.