My Ornithological Art (1 Viewer)

[j0hnguy]

Hello everyone.

I wanted to invite you to peruse my newly created website.

I'm a painter currently earning my MFA in Boston, MA. I'm a lifelong birder and naturalist, and my work is reflective of this. I'm currently working with two bodies of work. Watercolors on paper in the line of scientific illustration, and less conventional canvas pieces that, while of a different nature, are similarly inspired by the state of our environment in the 21st century.

This is my first attempt at web design...I'm still ironing out a few kinks, but you should get the idea. My art is best appreciated by those with ornithological inclinations so I thought I'd share it on this forum.

hope you like

JG

www.johnguypetruzzi.com

 

[Apodemus]

Wow! Some stunning images here and a very innovative web-site design. The top link didn't work for me (the one with your name), but the others worked well. The two images that stood out most for me were the petrels eating the seal and the skua harrying the penguins.

I see that a lot of your work focusses on human-based destruction of environmental systems. I hope, though, that you also manage to take pleasure and inspiration from the natural world - it's not all doom and gloom!

Mike

 

[nickderry]

Some fascinating pieces here, I find the doom and gloom pieces to be incredibly exciting. Good stuff, and glad to have you with us here on Birdforum!

 

[j0hnguy]

thanks for looking and for the responses.

As for doom and gloom...It's definitely present. I find it impossible to ignore the terrible crimes against nature perpetrated in the last few centuries. I feel personally robbed that I will never experience the raucous chatter of a company of Carolina Parakeets, whose range included my native Ohio valley, or the waning hum of a million migrating Passenger Pigeons over my head. These irrevocable tragedies haunt my imagination, and will always be a part of my artwork.

And yet, I like to think my paintings retain at least a small measure of hope. I receive enormous pleasure and just about all of my inspiration from the natural world. Yesterday I went for a long hike up the coast where I observed hundreds of Brants and Scoters just off the water's edge, existing as they always have. I delighted in large flocks of gulls rummaging through shells on the shore for morsels of food. Nothing puts me more at peace than sharing space with our wildlife, and nothing is more deserving of our attention and protection. I'm sure most of the people on birdforum share this opinion, but for most of the history of western culture we have been a minority.

In just over a month I will be going on a dedicated birding trip to the Rio Grande Valley. Hopefully I'll come back with some great source material.

Again, thanks for looking!

JG

 

[hunterpaul]

nice site, very similar to my own, great paintings, I like the cuckoo, it may be a parasite in the nest, but a report said in this country they are in decline.... the sound of the cuckoo would be sorely missed by me at least... great to see your stuff and cant wait to see more... Paul

 

[j0hnguy]

Thanks. I took a look at your site too. Very nice work. I love the kestrel and goshawk pieces. Really great. I've limited experience with acrylics but your work makes me want to try my hand at it.

That's sad news about the cuckoo..it adds another layer of context to the piece I suppose.

 

[Arizona Paul]

outstanding work John............thanks for sharing
Paul

 

[Strandman]

very stirring and expressive- especially that euro phragmites vs cattails set against the pool of red