A shorebirds day

Today is the day of those pesky little creatures that fly every year through the continents… silly behaviour just to annoy 4×4 drivers who happily ride the vast shores, or those creative entrepreneurs who see the void wetlands and see towers of private owners and cascades of money…

Somehow.. there is many people who think like this.

And is for these people that we need one day a year to celebrate the living shorebirds and the places they use to live and raise the future.

Crazy people like me, who love the nature and enjoy all the colours and all the smells (yep all of them), we keep present and take care of the world all year long!

Because if something can be learned from nature is that we all live in this planet, and this planet is all we have.
The ones who didn’t learn to live and let live, go extinct sooner or later…
We must take the lesson of the shorebirds, they are many, they are diverse, and they all share the same shores to feed and live.
How? take a look at this illustration and guess..

One shore, many chances – Skulls and silhouettes of six shorebirds that visit the San Antonio Bay (Rio Negro – Argentina) Click for high resolution .jpg (this image can be use under CC 4 non commercial license, feel free to share and use for educational purposes)

For more information about this day and shorebirds please contact this blog or search in the web. And for more real hints about what I’m talking about, please shut down your internet device, go outside (the farther, the better!) and be conscious of all your senses! (we haven’t at least 5 for nothing!)
Have a really nice day!

Manuel

Reaching the very tip of the year

An american kestrel (Falco sparverius)

Two weeks to the end of the year and two weeks to the beginning of a new year!

I believe if I start to think all the things I’ve done this year I will fall asleep for three days row!

This year was one for endurance, for patience and for acquiring valuable knowledge in many aspects of my life.

Twelve months more of doing what I like to do in a country in full economic crisis, keeping alive the flame of hope (almost a miracle!).

Yes, I think that I could have done more in this time span, but between the things I’ve learned this year is that each project and each idea has it’s own time, and maybe it’s good to take a little time for seeds so they may grow strong.

The only thing I really regret is that I could not travel as much as I wanted.
I have most of my friends living in cities far away from mine, and we always are telling wishes to gather around some beers, always making plans that vanishes in the lack of funds or time..

I know next year will be different (I hope better) Next year I start a grade on fine arts (a two year pending plan) and the distant chance of a full time scientific illustrator job will get closer to reach a definition for yes or no..

All the forbearance, all the sweat and all the hours drawing like a illuminator locked in the monastery, all gives me golden fruits that I keep for the future.
From the edge of this seat I can see waves of new horizons flowing like a smooth watercolour on a virgin sheet. Waiting any excuse to departure…

But not before look over the shoulder all the way that I left behind.

Hasta la próxima!

Just to not disappear..

Despite my intentions to revisit the issue of the fossils in my drawings, I leave these sketches to keep the blog active!

I’m programming give a very basic workshop on bird drawing in a couple of months.
So since that project arose, I’m drawing birds whenever I have a break from work.

That does not mean fossils left my hand, I’m just drawing a lot of things at once (and when one is ambitious … things take extra work!)

 

My first international prize!!

With this illustration I was awarded third place in the International Drawing Competition of the Festival de Aves Playeras Bahía San Antonio.
The taking part, think an idea and do it, was so pleasant that it was worth addressing the challenge!