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.

black flying fox-Pteropus alecto — 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.

I’ve got what those of us in the art biz refer to as a cohesive body of work. Then there are my divergences. Nature is almost always at the root of my inspiration, sometimes I just feel like expressing it a little differently.

The creatures we identify with Halloween, including bats, owls, corvids (thinks crows and ravens) and black cats, bring me joy year-round, as does art inspired by them. These animals continue to battle bad reputations among the superstitious and are deserving of positive press. In the spirit of the season, the San Diego Natural History Museum shared a short piece debunking some of the myths about bats out there. They’re mutual friends of ours if you don’t like being swarmed by mosquitos and enjoy tequila and mezcal.

Prints of any of these pieces can by purchased by clicking on the images of them below. Thanks for supporting living artists and Happy Halloween!

—Robin Street-Morris