For the Birds Raffle Ticket Sale

On sale at the For the Birds Show Reception and throughout the show, raffle tickets for a chance to win one of the Stephan Grant hand-made painted bird houses ( Value $60.00 ea.) or the signed and numbered print ( Value $225.00) by our show director, Maria Morando.  The raffle ticket drawing will take place Saturday, Dec 2nd.  You do not have to be present to win.  Winners will be notified.  Tickets purchased online will be added into the drawing up to Dec. 1st.  Tickets are $4.00 each or 3 for $10.00

The print by Maria Morando is titled "First Swim".

Maria began painting wildlife and birds using fluid acrylic as her medium.  She remained a bird artist for several years and has numerous paintings in private collections throughout the country.  "First Swim" is one of Maria's earlier paintings of an adult loon providing a comfortable resting spot for one of her babies when out on the water.  Loons carry their young on their backs to provide better protection from predators both above and below the water's surface.  Chicks leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching and can swim but will often opt to ride to conserve energy and their body heat.

The original painting of this mother loon with her babies was made entirely with fine dots of fluid acrylic and inks using a fine quill pen.  There is not a single brush stroke or a line on the entire image.  She had the original piece printed as a lithographic reproduction.  It has proven to be one of her most successful works over the years in terms of its popularity with the buying public and its use commercially.  The print is the same size as the original which was sold many years ago to a private home.