Rising Comet with Morning Star selected for the 93rd Annual California Landscape Exhibition

Rising Comet with Morning Star is a mixed media painting I made inspired by seeing Comet Nishimura (P1 C/2023) from the vantage point of Catalina Island. It's been selected by artist/juror Calvin Liang for display in the 93rd Annual California Landscape Exhibition in Santa Cruz.

The exhibition dates are Wednesday, July 17th through Saturday, September 14th, 2024. The First Friday reception is August 2nd from 6 to 8pm. The Santa Cruz Art League is located at 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

Robin Street-Morris. Rising Comet with Morning Star. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 21” (36 x 53cm).

Rising Comet with Morning Star

​This mixed media painting was inspired by my sighting of C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) while in Avalon, California looking toward the mainland before sunrise.  As always, I packed my DSLR, lenses and binoculars, but no tripod because I can be an idiot at times.  I carried a sturdy chair from the hotel room to a high spot around 4AM accepting that I was being overly optimistic thinking it and a towel under my camera might reduce shutter shake enough for some long-ish exposures.  I captured the green dot in focus once there was sufficient light in the sky to shoot handheld at f/2.8 with a high ISO.  Still, the comet was there above the smog, more or less in the presence of ear-tipped feral cats and me before the din of golf carts and boat motors drowned out the lapping waves.

Robin Street-Morris. Rising Comet with Morning Star. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 21” (36 x 53cm)

In Memory of Sea Turtles (Heron Island)

Heron Island, located in Queensland, Australia, is a dream come true for a birder, snorkeler and lover of sea turtles. One is also immersed in nature's brutality. Turtle hatchlings must brave a silver gull and blacktip reef shark gauntlet. My eyes watered more than once.

Robin Street-Morris. In Memory of Sea Turtles (Heron Island). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 13.5” x 21” (34 x 53cm).

Prints may be purchased by tapping on the image of the art. Please contact me directly if you’re interested in owning the original painting.