Wildling Museum
Birds Eye View: Four Perspectives
Author Archive
Special Bird-Diorama Exhibit and Lecture
7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Talk shop with San Francisco bird artist, David Tomb. Tomb will give a presentation about how artists and illustrators can use natural history museums’ collections to inspire and inform their work.
He will discuss his process of studying and drawing from bird skins and bird mounts. Tomb will demonstrate how he transforms these studies into life-size, full three-dimensional art installations that are inspired by dioramas from American Museum of Natural History in NYC and the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. Other topics that that will be covered are the overlap of art and science, the art of dioramas, illustration vs art, great bird painters and illustrators of the past and those currently working. David will have on-hand examples of his bird study drawings, studies from bird mounts and a portion from his recent installation: King Tides and Elusive Rails that was at the Fresno Art Museum and the Palo Alto Art Center.
Tomb’s work is in many national public art collections including: the San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts, the Oakland Museum of California, The Huntington Library Art Collections, San Marino, CA., the Embassy the United States, Manila, Philippines. His illustrations have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times Book Review and Harper’s Magazine. When not art-making he is often out in the field searching and sometimes finding birds locally and internationally.
Rockfowl and Other Wonders
An exhibit at the Fresno Art Museum.
Port Moresby 2016
Wild Places in Urban Spaces
Bird-Loving Artist David Tomb on his Recent Palo Alto Residency and Exhibition
Originally published at Huffpost Arts & Culture by John Seed.
During a recent visit to Palo Alto, I was able to visit artist David Tomb, who was nearing the end of a residency at the Palo Alto Art Center. His installation-in-progress, which uses art and multi-media elements to involve visitors with local marsh birds and their habit, was engaging and full of delightful elements and details. David has a lifelong interest in birds, and also a significant commitment to the conservation of species and habitats that is reflected in his work.
I interviewed David after he completed the installation to ask him more about how the project had evolved, and what it has accomplished.
John Seed Interviews David Tomb.
David Tomb
David, how are you feeling now that your residency is winding down?
Well, I have never done a residency before but I have to say, this one seems to be different than most.
In the past I have always worked in the studio and I like my studio in San Francisco very much. Early on in this residency I decided I had the option to make a full commitment to the residency, as I wanted to show visitors an “actual studio,” not just a gallery. So I moved much of my studio to Palo Alto to feel comfortable. I brought a lot of art books, my infamous rocking chair, one big work table, way too much in terms of art supplies, rolls of paper, and some stacks of cardboard. I also brought some previous work to add a bit of background. It took about 3½ days of trips in my fully-loaded Honda Element…
A Studio Corner
Once you got fully set up, how did you feel?
Well, it helped that the staff here helped to make me comfortable. Honestly, I was fine right away with people stopping by. When asked “Is it weird for you, working in a glass fishbowl?” I have replied: “I’m a birdwatcher, but I like to look at people too.”
Installation View
What kinds of visitors did you have?
During a two-week period I had something like 200 kindergartners on class tours. I’ve had grade school kids too, including an 11 year old who asked me “Do you live here?” Lots of adults and return customers too who wanted to see how things were developing. People enjoyed viewing and also commenting on my progress. They loved seeing the artwork start from a few pinned up drawings to seeing the studio fill up and be transformed.
David Tomb leads a local marsh tour
Do you feel like your work and installation has been making an impact?
Through the work and through various events and talks, I have tried to advocate for birds and bird conservation. I have led ten public events including five boardwalks at the nearby Marsh in January. I should mention that the theme of this residency Creative Ecology and I am the second of 4 artists in a series sponsored by the Junior Museum and Zoo. My personal topic has been the birds and marshes of Northern California.
The completed installation on opening night
What do people experience when they walk in?
Well, when anyone walks in, they experience what is essentially a walk-in natural diorama of a marsh habitat. I think of it as “2½D” as it isn’t quite 3D. To make the habitat, I went full out and made corrugated cardboard mudflats. One reason I think kids can relate to this show is that I keep my art strategies on a third grade level: there is a lot of cutting out of shapes and use of hot glue guns.
This is a total and complete environment: there is even sound in the form of a sound-loop of shorebirds. I have one tiny kinetic bird that is attached to a battery-operated locomotive that moves through the marsh reeds. It is barely visible, but it is there…
The kinetic shorebird on its railroad
Has the residency changed your work?
I would say that my work itself has expanded. The interactions are so important and I have had so many great conversations with so many people. A lot have people have loved being in a full blown studio and several have said “It is magical being in this room.”
One interesting thing is that the installation has gotten people connected with the real marsh and birds. Through this project, many people have had both their first experience of being in an artist’s studio and their first visit to a nature preserve.
Installation Detail
Is there anything else that people really responded to?
Yes: people love my rocking chair…
David with his rocking chair
Continuing Exhibition:
King Tides and Elusive Rails, featuring the artwork created by Tomb during his in-the-gallery residency, will be on display at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303, from April 26-July 3.
Tomb will also be presenting a free public lecture June 9, 7 p.m., at the Art Center.
Put a bird on it
Originally published here by Karla Kane in Palo Alto Weekly.
At the Baylands, on campus and in galleries, avian art is taking wing this winter. What makes birds — those feathered, flighty creatures — such appealing subjects?
“Birds are simply a beautiful expression of the natural world. They are one of the most accessible wild creatures to experience and connect with. If that’s not enough, they can fly! Oh, and they are descended from dinosaurs. Truly awesome,” said artist and self-described “bird nerd” David Tomb.
David Tomb will lead nature walks and bird-drawing workshops at the Baylands, home to many species, including great blue herons. Image courtesy of David Tomb.
This month, as part of the Creative Ecology project (a partnership between the Palo Alto Art Center and the Junior Museum & Zoo supporting work that blends art and science), Tomb will lead a free series of activities for the public at the Baylands. Participants in the five drop-in events can accompany Tomb on nature walks, practice drawing birds, contribute to a three-dimensional community diorama, and visit several learning stations, rain or shine. Art and reference material will be provided. And while it’s not required, if you have binoculars, Tomb said, “bring ’em on down.”
Tomb said he was “stoked” to have been chosen to share his two passions with the public.
“Watching birds and making art should be super fun,” he said.
His enthusiasm for ornithology is apparent. He has a particular fondness for the Philippine eagle.
“They are chocolate brown with Frank Sinatra-colored eyes and have a stylish, massive crest of feathers on their heads that can hang down like a lion’s mane or go totally vertical,” he said of the critically endangered species. “This bird inspired friends and I to start a conservation group,” Jeepney Projects. The group partners with conservation groups to raise funds in support of endangered birds through art exhibits and sales of prints.
While there won’t be any Philippine eagles present at the Baylands, there will be a special appearance by Sequoia, the Junior Museum & Zoo’s own bald eagle.
Tomb has been an avid birder since childhood, when he’d watch turkey vultures roost in a dead oak tree in his back yard.
“This back-lit scene had a very cool ‘goth’ appeal. My parents tell me that I stared at them every morning as a toddler,” he said.
Palo Alto Art Center’s Exhibitions Coordinator Selene Foster agreed that there’s something special about vultures.
“I’m really into vultures right now, both due to their scavenging nature and the way they stretch out their wings to bask in the sun while perched — absolutely gorgeous, if a bit ominous,” she said.
She’s also a burrowing owl fan.
“They live in Santa Clara County but are a species of special concern due to their dwindling habitat. Besides being ridiculously adorable and living in the ground, they also seem to be immune to the plague, which I find endearing,” she said.
According to Foster, birds have attracted attention and inspired human art throughout recorded history and continue to do so. Birds have often played a role in superstitions, she said, such as the belief that sparrows carry the souls of the dead, or the presence of human-avian hybrids in mythology and pop culture, from Hindu legends to Big Bird and the Harry Potter novels. She and Andrea Antonaccio co-curated a new exhibit, “Bird in the Hand,” to accompany Tomb’s Creative Ecology residency.
“Bird in the Hand” will feature the bird-themed work of more than 40 contemporary artists, including a painting by Robert Minervini that portrays the ghosts of birds currently listed as threatened or endangered and a peacock by Laurel Roth Hope constructed partly out of nail polish, barrettes and false eyelashes.
“All the work in this exhibition is evidence of contemporary art’s ongoing romance with avian species, and I hope some of that romance rubs off on our viewers, if it hasn’t already in their everyday lives,” Foster said. “This show is also meant to be a small window into the artists’ soul,” she said. “The struggle is to capture and possess the magic that comes to birds so naturally.”
“Bird in the Hand,” which will run from Jan. 16 to April 10, will have an opening celebration on Friday, Jan. 22, with food, hands-on art activities, and more photo opportunities with the Junior Museum & Zoo’s resident bird ambassadors.
After Tomb’s Baylands series is complete, he’ll create new work in the Art Center’s Glass Gallery, eventually exhibiting it alongside “Bird in the Hand.”
Meanwhile at Stanford, an exhibit called “Art at Exits” has been quietly displayed throughout campus since 2014. The exhibit pairs 10 prints of John James Audubon’s famous avian paintings — those depicting species that are found locally, such as the California quail and the red-winged blackbird with captions offering scientific information on the birds. They’re placed strategically at the exits of buildings near the particular birds’ habitats, with the hope that passersby will see the art and then become aware of the real birds just outside.
Curator Darryl Wheye has been observing and championing the birds on Stanford University’s campus since the 1990s, co-authoring a bird book with noted Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich in the 1980s.
“It’s disconcerting to realize how little aware we are of the avian diversity around us. Science Art can help make it easier to notice,” she said. Ultimately, she’d like to bring the exhibit to other locations — major Silicon Valley companies, perhaps to raise awareness of local birds and their vanishing habitats. Some of the Audubon prints are easily visible to the public, such as at the Tressider union, while others are more hidden. Viewers can look online for a complete catalog. A new addition to the exhibit is truly “for the birds,” in the best way possible. A hummingbird garden was recently planted outside Green Library, where an Anna’s hummingbird painting is featured. Viewers can see the painting, then look right out the window or step up to the garden to witness the real thing. Wheye, who is especially partial to red-shouldered hawks, saw hummingbirds and others at the garden’s opening in November.
No matter which species or habitat you fancy, Tomb’s advice for would-be bird artists is simple: “Firstly, get out and enjoy and connect with Mother Nature. Nothing is better than first-hand experience in the field.”
What: Creative Ecology activities with David Tomb, “Bird in the Hand” and “Art at Exits”
Where: Baylands, Palo Alto Art Center and Stanford University
When: Nature/art activities with David Tomb are on Jan. 10, 12, 20, 24 and 27; “Bird in the Hand” runs Jan.16 through April 10; “Art at Exits” is ongoing.
Cost: Free
Info: For more information, go to Palo Alto Art Center and Art at Exits.
Creative Ecology
Creative Ecology at the Palo Alto Art Center with the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo.
stARTup Art Fair
The core mission of stARTup Art Fair is to provide an exhibition venue for unrepresented artists.
Artist & birder & conservationist
Blue-throated Bee Eater by David Tomb
Originally published here by Ilana DeBare.
David Tomb’s two childhood loves were art and birds. As an adult, he’s brought them together — in a way that supports international bird conservation.
Tomb — a San Francisco painter and collage artist — currently has a show at the San Francisco Public Library focusing on endangered birds of the Philippines, including the majestic Philippine Eagle.
It’s part of an initiative to showcase endangered species in the Third World, and raise both money and awareness to help them survive. Together with several childhood friends, Tomb runs a small nonprofit called Jeepney Projects Worldwide that so far has used art to spotlight the Tufted Jay (Mexico) and Horned Guan (Mexico-Guatemala), as well as the Philippine Eagle.
“I’d always wanted to paint birds. As I started traveling more and getting out into the field, mostly Mexico, I thought, ‘What can I do to help?’” said Tomb.
Tufted Jays by David Tomb
David Tomb working on a collage / Photo by Ilana DeBare
Boy Birder in Oakland and Marin
Tomb started birding as a boy in Oakland and then Marin County, where he fell under the spell of the late birding legend Rich Stallcup. He took part in his first Christmas Bird Count at age 11 in 1972.
“Rich was the M.C. compiling the numbers at the end of the night,” Tomb recalled, “and I thought, ‘That guy is really cool. I wish I could be like that when I grow up.’ It was the first time I remember thinking an adult was cool.”
Blue-crowned Motmot by David Tomb, in graphite, ink, colored pencil, gouache and water color wash
For the first twenty years of his career as an artist. Tomb focused on painting people. He aspired to paint birds, but couldn’t figure out how to forge the same personal connection he had when using live human models. “I would look at photos of birds and think, ‘What am I going to do with that?’” he said.
Several years ago, he took the plunge. He decided to try using museum collections of bird skins as his models. But he didn’t want to simply create straightforward field guide-style images; he wanted to add something personal to the work.
So he evolved a style that combines realistic birds — painted at their actual size — with a more abstract background.
“I like the tension of the two,” he said, “the realistic-looking bird with the flat cut-out form. It can add interest for the viewer that draws them into the content. It adds to the art experience.”
Tomb has done sketches, paintings and prints of birds, but the SF Public Library exhibit focuses on collage works. Tomb starts by doing numerous bird sketches from museum skins. Then he rubs the back of the sketch onto white paper with the back of a spoon. He redraws the image about ten times, experimenting with poses and positions – “kind of Frankensteining and willing that image to look more and more alive,” he said.
Only then does he go online to compare his image with photos of the bird. Once he’s satisfied, he paints the bird and cuts it out. He also paints and cuts out elements of background foliage or terrain. Then he pieces it all together with pins, moving pieces around like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Some of the pieces are left semi-attached and dangling.
“It’s not 3-D but 2.5-D,” he says, “so the artwork has another layer of life to it.”
Collage in progress of Philippine Trogon by David Tomb
Starting Jeepney Projects
As he traveled to learn about and paint birds, Tomb was inspired to help protect them. His first project was a benefit for El Triunfo Reserve in Mexico, home to the Horned Guan. Tomb created prints of the guan and the Resplendant Quetzal and donated the proceeds to the reserve.
His friends suggested creating a formal group – which became Jeepney (named after the World War II military vehicles that were recycled into colorful public transit in the Philippines). “We are a tiny group with a big name,” Tomb joked. Tiny or not, they have raised about $3,000 for the Philippine Eagle Foundation and a similar amount for El Triunfo.
“The Philippine Eagle is the tallest eagle in the world, but there may be as few as 180 to 500 individuals left,” Tomb said. “The biggest problem is deforestation on a mass scale. The Philippines is down to three percent of its intact original primary forest. They chopped down the trees and replaced them with bananas or palm plantations…. But it’s not just a problem for the Philippines to solve. We in the U.S. created the demand for hardwood like Philippine mahogany in the 50s and 60s. This is a western, world problem.”
Philippine Eagle by David Tomb
Tomb recently started selling Tufted Jay prints to benefit Mexico’s Tufted Jay Reserve. And he’s developing new works featuring the picathartes (rockfowl) of Ghana that could become Jeepney’s next campaign.
Picathartes right now dominate Tomb’s studio in San Francisco’s Mission district. One entire wall is covered with a giant collage, leaves and vines of the Ghana rain forest pinned up as high as the ceiling. Varied images of picathartes dot the opposite wall, while arm-wide paintings of vines and foliage lie on the floor, tables, chairs.
David Tomb in his studio / Photo by Ilana DeBare
David Tomb working on picathartes images / Photo by Ilana DeBare
A live-work-bird space
Almost as fascinating as Tomb’s work-in-progress is the place where he does his work — a former police precinct station near 24th Street.
Tomb bought the property fifteen years ago when the city was consolidating its police facilities. At the time, it had an extra-thick concrete parking lot for squad cars and not a single stalk of vegetation. But today, when you enter through the nondescript gate, you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a secret garden of Eden. A California Sycamore — planted by drilling a hole through the concrete — spreads its shady canopy over the compound. Grape vines twine their way behind raised beds of California native plants.
Tomb’s family, his brother’s family and his studio occupy the former police buildings. Renovated to look more like a SoMa loft space than a jail cell or locker room, Tomb’s home is lined with his bird sketches and paintings.
But there are even more birds outside than inside.
The landscaping — all done without removing the thick concrete — draws nesting Mourning Doves each year. It regularly gets Anna’s Hummingbirds, California Towhees, Townsend’s and Yellow-rumped Warblers, and flocks of Bushtits. One highlight last year was a McGillivray’s Warbler on the same day as a Red-breasted Nuthhatch.
“We have a pretty good yard list here in the middle of the Mission,” Tomb said. “And seeing a flock of Bushtits? That can change a regular dreary day and make your spirits soar.”
Initial sketch of a bird skin, on wall of David Tomb’s bedroom
You can view more of David Tomb’s work at davidtomb.com, or learn about Jeepney Projects Worldwide and its conservation initiatives at jeepneyprojects.org. The Jeepney site includes an online store where you can purchase prints or note cards to benefit Jeepney’s international conservation partners. David Tomb’s exhibition at the SF Public Library is free and open daily through March 2014: Click here for details.