Sandhill Cranes at Bosque del Apache
MARTHA MARKS COMMENTS ON BERNIE’S BRILLIANT PAINTING OF SANDHILL CRANES AT BOSQUE DEL APACHE:
Bernie and I spent many happy days at Bosque del Apache, a deservedly famous New Mexico haven for birds and other wildlife. It was impossible for us to resist going there in the late fall and winter, since that’s when the Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese are present in abundance and the landscape is spectacular. We were both there on the amazing day when these cranes were grazing in the golden grasses.
Bernie was always painting, of course. And I was always photographing birds in the marsh and woods and fields.
But he never painted from somebody else’s photos. Never! He wasn’t one to scroll through magazines looking for photos of pretty scenes to paint. The idea of that literally offended him.
Throughout his long career, he painted only people, creatures, places, and things that he had personally seen, sketched, photographed, and (when possible) painted plein air in watercolor. And yet, for this piece, he actually did use some of my closeup crane photos, because he couldn’t capture enough detail with his camera. I had the gear and the experience to do that, so it was a great artistic partnership.
In all, this site presents seven paintings where Bernie used my photos to provide the details that he either couldn’t safely get close enough to see or didn’t have time to paint on site.
These Bernard Marks watercolors are available through this website as originals and/or top-quality prints.
- “Buffalo Mother and Calf in Grand Teton“
- “Mother Elk and Calf in Yellowstone“
- “Mountain Goat in Glacier“
- “Ducks in the Marsh”
- “Pronghorn in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge“
- “Two Moose in the Tetons“
Top-quality giclée prints in two formats are available:
1. on thick archival paper, 18″ x 30″ (same size as the original), ready for framing: $500
2. on gallery-wrapped canvas, 18″ x 30″ (same size as the original), ready for hanging or framing: $500
CONTACT Martha Marks if you’re prefer a different size print.
Return to the NEW MEXICO page of the Oils and Acrylics section.
This painting and all reproductions of it are © Bernard Marks Fine Art LLC. No unauthorized use is permitted. All rights reserved.
I remember when he sketched cranes (what species?) from the covered seating area at the International Crane Foundation near Baraboo, WI. Just a few people around. I could only look at the cranes. But there was Bernie–at work sketching them and no doubt seeing a whole lot more than the rest of us.
I truly believe Bernie would have sketched anything and everything he laid his eyes on if he’d had time.
That was a special outing we four made, wasn’t it? The ICF conserves a range of cranes, especially endangered ones like the Whooper. So it’s a very different experience from seeing Sandhill Cranes en masse at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
And you do have to admit, Paul… the landscape of the Bosque del Apache is a whole lot more scenic than the fenced-in ICF! Especially on a golden day like the one I photographed and Bernie painted that fine autumn day. If you’ve never been there, you should come sometime!