11d • General discussion
Raising Money for Ducks Unlimited with The Art of Birding
Last night I produced a Live Painting during a two-hour Ducks Unlimited banquet in Orland Park, IL.Last year, I raised $1000 with a watercolor painting of seven waterfowl. The previous year I raised around $300 with a painting of Pintails in Flight, all produced in the two-hour window of the banquet from open to dinner to Live Auction.
The challenge of finding subject matter that appeals to the audience of bidders is always interesting. This year, I decided to create an acrylic version of the watercolor illustration I'd done of All the North American Ducks.
I did some "pre-painting" of the background to allow focus on the ducks and geese, as there were more than two dozen of them to portray. Doing so in such a short time frame means emphasizing the pattern, not the fine details of each species. It's fun to do these, but last night I barely finished in time for the Live Auction part of the evening. The hostess walked the painting around the room and it sold for $300. Not what I hoped to raise for Ducks Unlimited, but every bit helps in the long-term.
That organization raises billions to buy and protect North American wetlands, and I admire that. For the last three years I've attended banquets and painted "live" as a sort fun addition to the event. People don't often get to see "Artists In Action" and will come close to observe. One of the attendees noticed that I'd forgotten to include a bufflehead in the painting, so I added that!
Hunters are often solid people, eager to contribute to the "good of the cause," and this event is one of Ducks Unlimited's best banquets. We may differ in our interests or approach when it comes to ducks, geese and swans, and I'm likely a bit more politically liberal than many of these folks, but in an era when the Trump administration is gutting environmental laws and wildlife protections, I side with those who put their money (and their paintings) where their heart is. Here's to all of you. Happy hunting. You've earned it.
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Raising Money for Ducks Unlimited with The Art of Birding
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Birding expert and wildlife artist Christopher Cudworth brings birding to life
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