More Pandas

Yep, more pandas. What's not to love about them?

I'm donated a few items to Pandas International's online auction. The proceeds will be helping the pandas at the Bifengxia Panda Center in Sichuan China.

"Tai Shan Greets Koi" a 5"x7" original watercolor in an 8"x10" black frame, protected with UV glass. Here is the link to the item in the auction. 



A hand painted tea set featuring pandas under cherry blossom trees. The teapot can hold 6 cups and is painted on both sides, the cups hold 12 oz. The set is functional, but I recommend hand washing after use. Here is the link to the set in the auction.

I will be featuring more painted tea sets and mugs later on. As always, if it has a panda on it, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Pandas International.

"Looking Forward" for The National Zoo Zoofari Auction

A while back, I was contacted by The National Zoo to see if I would be willing to donate some art for their annual Zoofari auction. I'm a big supporter of The National Zoo so I was very honored to help them. I wanted to draw two of their Western Lowland Gorillas, Mandara and Kibibi. During my last visit to the zoo, I was touched by Mandara's nurturing instincts. I wanted to capture the feelings of hope and love that I felt watching them.

I decided to title the piece, "Looking Forward". It's 11"x14" created with colored pencil on Somerset paper. I love working in colored pencil! The medium can be time consuming to work with, but the results are very rewarding. It seems that even grey tones can become vibrant with this medium. (Please click on image for a larger view.)

Zoofari 2010 will be on May 20th. It's considered one of the best events in Washington D.C. featuring more than 100 of the area's finest restaurants. If you would like more information on the event, please visit The National Zoo's website.