Monday, January 09, 2006

Night Hawk


In 1987 I worked in Santa Monica for master printer, Jeff Wasserman of Wasserman SilkScreen Co. I worked with 4 -5 guys . I was the only girl and I really enjoyed being one of the guys. I worked there for 5 years. We printed limited editions on paper, metal, glass and fabric for some of the most well known California artists that were in the museums and the important galleries at this time period. But life at the print shop was pretty routine on a daily basis. One evening I went out to the alley in the back and there was a large hawk sitting on top of the telephone pole and all the people that were walking by and worked back there, were marveling at the sight of this large hawk in the middle of an industrial area! It was a beautiful sight. "Night Hawk" is my reflection on that day but I changed it from industrial alley to a neighborhood. I did this for a young woman, her mom purchased and comissioned a few paintings from me. I had a show in Pacific Palisades Sept. of 1990 and used it for my invitation and as a centerpiece for my show. In Topanga, you see hawks all the time in fact there is a piece of state park property right next to me and they mate and have babies in the eucalyptus trees. The hawk is such a beautiful bird. I have noticed since I started blogging a few other pictures of birds on phone poles, I think Andrea might have one on flickr and someone else too...

12 comments:

andrea said...

Hi Val -- Very cool angles on the telephone poles. It's like they're almost falling out of the picture! I have a dangerous habit, while driving along a local highway, of checking out all the lamp standards and fence posts for hawks because I live where the raptor bird population is densest in Canada. One day at a stop light I saw one actually working on a fresh kill (mouse or rat) while sitting on a fence post. There's also a pair of bald eagles who live in our neighbourhood.

Your vision is so unique -- it's always a treat when you post something new.

Unknown said...

No matter what your houses always seem to smile.
the hawk and the story are great. i love seeing hawks and once in a while they fly into my yard but they are going for the birds i feed.

Janet said...

I don't even know how to put in to words how much I like this one! It has to be one of my favourites so far.

Caroline said...

I love the sleepy look of the houses!

I never knew before your blog just how expressive houses could be...

Mia Charro said...

what can i say? I allways love your work! Really beautiful

Courtney Pippin-Mathur said...

wow, this is very cool and magical. one of my favorites so far. i love the lighthouse too, I love the ocean. :)

Pickledog said...

Hi Val, thank you for the comments.
I love the perspective in this painting, and the shapes of the windows are really beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I live in a very rural area and we have oodles of red tail hawks, raccoons, turkey vultures, oppossum, skunks, feral cats, and more.

I need to get out and draw some of them. They're far more interesting than most of the crap I decide to draw.

Good show.

Dana S. Whitney said...

We have the occasional hawk here, too... (the Suburbs are spreading... sometimes we see hawks, sometimes coyotes, sometimes "just" rabbits!)... but the most amazing thing was one evening at dusk in the local Border's parking lot: An ENORMOUS OWL... we could hear the wind whistling through his winge as he landed on the neon letters, and again when he took off over the Nordstron's discount outlet!!

Unknown said...

This is beautiful!! Sooo magical and warm!!

RHoward454 said...

Wow! Your imagination is without equal. I love this!

Andrea said...

I love the yellow you have used to light up the windows...it has a very warm feel. Bravo!