Hans

I just got word that my friend Hans Windgassen, artist and pigeon man, died in Pennsylvania this week. I knew he had been having heart trouble lately but he passed it off to me as not very serious. Born in Germany, he lived and taught in Pennsylvania for many years. Although we could argue about …

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Separated at Birth?

I finally figured out who the Roman- nosed Chinese “Xigou” hounds reminded me of: the late Edward Gorey’s Doubtful Guest. Look at those profiles!

Mongol Tazis?

I never saw a tazi in Mongolia but there is evidence they exist, as in this folk painting. It is a common genre but this is the only one I ever saw that had tazis, never mind a Kazakh eagler.Andrew brought me back this wonderful little study in another modern style– I have a horse …

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Gallo…

… de Cielo!This whimsical portrait of Tom Russell’s celestial fighting rooster came to live at Casa Q for my 61st birthday, as Tom and Libby conspired. Or as he put it, “…that was one we kept in our private collection but it wanted to move to Magdalena near the other wild birds.” (In addition to …

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Illustrated Gun (and Asian Hawk Art)

As part of my downsizing/ upgrading I bought my scrimshaw grips a new gun (1911 .45 of course), a Kimber Ultra Carry II with night sights. Mel at Ron Peterson’s threw in an ingenious holster that can be used right or left side, cross or regular draw, with no alterations.The design is based on a …

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Indian Tazi

A classic Indian miniature from this site, circa 1800, sent by Jess at Desert Windhounds. As Brett says, it is either the biggest tazi or the smallest handler EVER.

Carel’s Beetle

About a year ago, before chaos struck (or at least was diagnosed), Libby commissioned Carel Pieter Brest van Kempen to do a watercolor for my birthday. Someone asked if it would be a raptor. I was almost offended- every falconer in the world is inundated with such images. Given Carel’s eclectic tastes, I opted for …

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Stray

I recently had the pleasure of attending the opening reception of a new group art exhibit at the Sublette County Library in Pinedale, Wyoming. The “Common Ground Work” exhibit brought together six talented local artists with a wide variety of mediums, but one particular piece kept drawing me back: David K. Klaren’s graphite “Stray.” The …

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Two Skulls

Suburban Bushwhacker posted some photos of a skull that he wanted his readers to guess at. It was a European badger. I know because long ago, after were were unable to stop in what the English call a “roundabout”* to retrieve a carcass, zoologist- artist Jonathan Kingdon gave me a skull of one with the …

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