Welcoming wildlife

Wanting this bobcat to have a good life in our yards that border nearby preserves is why I rooted for AB-1322 via emails to elected officials. Predators like bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes and raptors are skilled hunters that too often fall victim to rodenticides that travel up the food chain.

This bobcat captured a midnight snack.

Presumably this is the same bobcat returning to continue the hunt.

Selasphorus working Dudleya pulverulenta

Rufous/Allen’s hummingbird (Selasphorus sp.) working one of the Dudleya pulverulenta I planted on the slope a few years ago

Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) with Dudleya pulverulenta

Callianda x Sierra Starr® is a robust hybrid between Calliandra eriophylla (pink fairy duster) and Calliandra californica (Baja fairy duster) that keeps the hummingbirds very busy.

Great Basin western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes) on the house

Very adorable and tiny Baja California tree frogs (Pseudacris hypochondriaca) often find cover in our potted plants from Andy’s Bromeliads, in this case a Hohenbergia.

A southern pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri) was eyeing me from beneath a chaparral mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus) I planted on the slope. Our yard and the preserve is clearly a great place for neighbors’ dogs to be permitted to run and dig off-leash.

greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)

This may or may not be the racoon who flipped our container water garden sending the water lilies and lotuses everywhere. The garden is now caged.

chaparral yucca (Yucca whipplei) seed pods with full Moon

Island fox encounter

I could have fed and petted "Jasper," as the Catalina Island Company employees called him.  I didn't and it wasn't because he was being treated for a nasty case of fleas by biologists.  The more accustomed island foxes become to hanging around us for snacks, the more likely they are to come into contact with our vehicles and pets.  This often ends poorly for the foxes. 

Watcha got?!

No, you may not have anything he’s having.

Catalina ground squirrels and a pair of common ravens both helped themselves to what was left of other animals’ breakfasts.

A common raven was eying a piece of bread that was shared tenderly with their mate.

Hello again!

Good, you’re foraging at least somewhat away from the lodge.

This warry fox didn’t want to be watched and made haste.

The Catalina Island quail have good reason to be alert.

The aloof fox trotted up the hill with at least two quail hatchlings and disappeared into the vegetation, perhaps to feed a young family of their own.

I’ll never forget meeting you. I hope you live a long and healthy life.

***

Isthmus Cove viewed through a window at Banning House Lodge

Through the curtains toward Catalina Harbor at twilight

Passage series

Passage XIII (San Diego to San Francisco) has been selected for inclusion in Maryland Federation of Art's American Landscapes: Scenes from the Americas exhibition.

My long-running Passage series is a reflection on trips through storms, over mountains, deserts and water. Once twilight falls, humanity is represented by points of light that emanate from our homes, headlights and other anthropogenic beacons.

Robin Street-Morris. Passage XIII (San Diego to San Francisco). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 20” (36 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage I (Detroit to St. Louis). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 11” x 14” (28 x 36cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage II. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 9" x 13" (22 x 33cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage III. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 12” x 19” (30 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage IV. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 12” x 20” (30 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage V. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14” x 20” (36 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage VI. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14” x 20” (36 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage VII. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 15” x 19” (38 x 42cm).

Passage VIII

Robin Street-Morris. Passage VIII. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 16" x 20" (41 x 51cm).

Passage IX-Victoria to Vancouver

Robin Street-Morris. Passage IX (Victoria to Vancouver). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 12" x 19" (30 x 48cm).

Passage X-Howeward through Mojave Wilderness

Robin Street-Morris. Passage X (Homeward Through Mojave Wilderness). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 15" x 19" (38 x 48cm).

Passage XI-Comet with Venus

Robin Street-Morris. Passage XI (Comet with Venus). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 15" x 20" (38 x 51cm).

San Diego Comic-Con 2023

San Diego Comic-Con 2023 is here and my display in the Art Show is up. This is my ninth year participating counting the online pandemic versions. Much of my favorite art hanging in my own studio and home was purchased there. Artists from all over can participate in person or by mailing their work in. Our inspirations extend far beyond superheroes and our personal styles are varied. This is a really good thing in my opinion as only we can make our own work. What I create is simultaneously a reflection of and a piece of myself.

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.

92nd Annual Statewide California Landscape Exhibition

​I'm pleased one of my mixed media paintings inspired by a place that's dear to me has been selected for inclusion ​in the 92nd Annual Statewide California Landscape Exhibition at the Santa Cruz Art League.

The exhibition runs July 12th through September 9th, 2023. The gallery's location is 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, California 95060. The reception is Friday, August 4th from 5-8PM.

Trail to the Clouds-Catalina Island painting art

Robin Street-Morris. “Trail to the Clouds (Catalina Island).” Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14" x 20" (36 x 51cm).

Short-leaved Dudleya (Dudleya brevifolia)

This watercolor painting is an homage to one of my favorite locally native species I visit on a regular basis. The starry blossoms that appear on these miniscule plants in late spring are roughly the size of my pinky fingertips.

Robin Street-Morris. Short-lived Dudleya (Dudleya brevifolia). Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 5.5” x 8.5” (14 x 22cm).

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.  

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.



spring in San Diego's desert

Our desert is full of jaw-droppingly beautiful plants that are supported by fragile biocrusts.

strawberry hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii var. engelmannii) is stealing the show here.

strawberry hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii var. engelmannii)

desert five-spot (Eremalche rotundifolia)

beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris)

This silvery young brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) is finding its way in a crevice.

A perfect bouquet of chuparosa (Justicia californica), multiple cactus species and wildflowers

Mojave desertstar (Monoptilon bellioides)

strawberry cactus (Mammillaria dioica)

teddy bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii ssp. bigelovii)

There’s nothing quite like backlit cacti at dawn and dusk.

Arizona chalk dudleya (Dudleya arizonica)

Bigelow’s moneyflower (Mimulus bigelovii var. bigelovii)

California barrel cactus-Ferocactus cylindraceus

California barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus)

California barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus)

Emory's rockdaisy (Perityle emoryi)

Parish's poppy-Eschscholzia parishii

Parish’s poppy (Eschscholzia parishii)

This ornate checkered beetle (Trichodes ornatus) was visiting Wolf’s cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii) to grab a meal and perhaps lay eggs. I’d have liked to stick around to observe a bit more and take additional photos, but I was ready to pass out from the midday heat in this low elevation portion of the desert near the San Diego County and Imperial County lines.

Wolf’s cholla (Cylindropuntia wolfii) in all its glory

Imagine the night skies we could enjoy if we cut the lights when we weren't actively using them. Thankfully, the campground lights illuminating the foreground and skyglow from Calexico-Mexicali at left don't entirely obscure our Milky Way Galaxy when viewed from in this spot. Saving power in this respect would help migratory birds as well.

Anna's hummingbird nest

If you’re thinking about pruning a tree at this time of year in southern California (and a lot of other warm locations), please look closely for bird activity first. It’d be really easy to send this family of Anna’s hummingbirds tumbling to the ground and I suspect most of us can agree that’d be incredibly sad.

Anna's hummigbird female-Calypte costa

Here’s a female Anna’s hummingbird near her nest site in our largest tree, a Peruvian pepper that came with the house. She built it with twigs, spider webs and bits of lichen from our fence which add a bit of much-needed camouflage.

Anna's hummingbird foraging in bladderpod

She’s foraging in bladderpod I planted.

anna's hummingbird nest 2023
anna's hummingbird transparent wings

Why is a Cooper’s hawk a hummingbird's best friend?: https://www.science.org/content/article/why-hawk-hummingbird-s-best-friend

OCEAN / EARTH / AIR exhibition

Three of my nature-inspired, mixed media paintings were selected for inclusion in OCEAN/EARTH/AIR, an exhibition juried and hosted by the Surfing Madonna Oceans Project, a local pro-environment and arts group here in San Diego County. The dates are March 29th through April 30th at The Poway Center for the Performing Arts located at 15498 Espola Road. The reception is taking place from 1-4PM on Sunday, April 23rd and will feature live music and readings by this events winning poets. General gallery hours are Tuesday-Thursday 10AM-2PM, Friday 12-5PM and Saturday 10AM-3PM.

Fata Morgana IV-Catalina Island

Robin Street-Morris. Fata Morgana IV (Catalina Island). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Nighthawks with Waxing Gibbous

Robin Street-Morris. Nighthawks with Waxing Gibbous. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Phantasm-White Whale-tail

Robin Street-Morris. Phantasm (White Whale). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13” x 21” (33 x 53cm).

An Angraecum sesquipedale-inspired painting

This painting was inspired by one of my own orchids that blooms faithfully every winter. I'm a huge fan of Angraecoids for both their flowers' celestial appearances and their incredible evening fragrances.

Please send me a message if you’re interested in the original painting or tap on the image if you’d like to support a living artist through a print purchase, always much appreciated.

Angraecum sesquipedale orchid art

Robin Street-Morris. Darwin's Star Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale). Transparent watercolor on 300lb hot press paper. 12.5" x 19.5" (32 x 50cm).

Chaparral denizen

We may be off to a cold start in San Diego, but it's spring as far as I'm concerned. Patience was required to catch this shot of an Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) working a grove of mission manzanitas (Xylococcus bicolor) today. Look at how tight that range map is for the mission manzanita, the only member of its genus (the fancy word for that is "monotypic").

mission manzanita-Xylococcus bicolor-anna's hummingbird-calypte anna

San Miguel Island foxes

I spotted three individual island foxes while camping on San Miguel Island which made for a very special and all too brief trip to Channel Islands National Park. This is my fourth subspecies sighting of island foxes and the most elusive of the northern Channel Islands subspecies according to fox biologists I've interacted with. I'm able to tell them apart by their ears and one of them being collared, the tracking being funded by everyone's support of Friends of the Island Fox. I encountered another on a trail in the dark and was unable to capture a photo, though it may have been one of these three. I also caught nocturnal images and video with my camera trap placed near our tent which may or may not be a different fox, as the ear outlines aren't clear.

San Miguel Island fox-Urocyon littoralis ssp. littoralis
San Miguel Island fox-Urocyon littoralis ssp. littoralis

Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

alligator lizard-Elgaria multicarinata)

A fox biologist held this southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) briefly for us to admire.

northern elephant seal cow

Northern elephant seal cow (Mirounga angustirostris)

Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) off of Santa Cruz Island

Surfing Madonna Oceans Project "Save the Ocean" Exhibition

A trio of board members of the Surfing Madonna Oceans Project selected a mixed media painting of mine for inclusion in the second annual “Save the Ocean” exhibition. This group show of California artists will be on display at the Escondido Municipal Gallery from October 7th through November 4th, 2022. The reception is October 8th from 4 - 7PM at 262 E. Grand Ave. in Escondido. Gallery hours are Tuesday 11:00 - 6:00PM and Thursday-Saturday 11:00AM - 4:00PM.

Crescent Moon with Venus and Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms

Robin Street-Morris. Crescent Moon with Venus and Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14" x 21" (36 x 53cm).

Nighthawks with Waxing Gibbous

This mixed media painting is loosely inspired by watching lesser nighthawks hunting for insects near an oasis in Twentynine Palms, California.

nighthawk flight with waxing gibbous moon

Robin Street-Morris. "Nighthawks with Waxing Gibbous." Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Please tap on the image of the painting above if you’re interested in a print or contact me directly if you’d like to inquire about the original art.