The Bat Show Redux with Alternative Tentacles at Studio Fallout

Winston Smith invited fellow artists to make work inspired by his classic bat logo for the Bat Show Redux at Studio Fallout in San Francisco. I riffed on it and my experience watching flying foxes in Australia to create this mixed media painting. The original is spoken for, but prints on a wide variety of surfaces can be purchased by clicking on the image of the artwork below.

Robin Street-Morris. Unshackled. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 9” x 9” (23 × 23cm).

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Going to the show gave me the chance to return to some of my favorite spots in the area. Everyone at the gallery was kind and welcoming, but I’m most content outdoors with my camera looking for wildlife and beautiful scenery.

tule elk herd (Cervus canadensis ssp. nannodes) at Tule Elk State Natural Reserve

a female Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) visiting an Aloe arborescens(?) inflorescence at the San Francisco Botanical Garden

a mated pair of great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) duetting in Golden Gate Park

harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) at J V Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

I’m unsure of what banana slug species this is. I spotted three of them at J V Fitzgerald Marine Reserve which is the first place I ever saw one. I named my phone Banana Slug due to the color of its protective case.

Monterey cypress tunnel near sunset (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) at J V Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

Syzygy (Solar Eclipse) with Awakened Bats

Experiencing the Mexican free-tailed bat population waking up at Old Tunnel State Park and the annular eclipse on separate days led to daydreaming. I asked if any had stirred there when the sky was briefly darkened and was told they hadn't. I created my fantasy of the future total eclipse anyway.

Tapping on the image of the art will take you to my print on demand site. Please contact me directly for inquiries about the original mixed media painting.

Robin Street-Morris. Syzygy with Awakened Bats. Transparent watercolor, soft pastel and colored pencil on 300lb cold press paper. 14" x 19" (36 x 48cm).

Blossom Hunter

Getting to watch the wild black flying foxes in Australia that inspired this piece was a dream come true.

In addition to their intrinsic value and beauty, different bat species help humanity out by dispersing seeds, pollinating crops and controlling insect populations.  Quoting the qld.gov.au website, "Flying-foxes eat flowers and fruit, and sometimes leaves, from over 100 species of native trees and vines. They supplement this diet by eating fruit from introduced plants found in gardens, orchards, parks and streetscaping." 

Habitat loss threatens their survival like it does for so many organisms.  

Robin Street-Morris. Blossom Hunter (Black Flying Fox-Pteropus alecto). Transparent + iridescent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 21” (36 x 53cm).

Please tap on the image of the art above if you’re interested in purchasing a print of this mixed media painting. Send me a message here if you’d like to inquire about the original.