A NEW START

Well, as you can see, it has been quite some time since I last posted on this blog - and there are some very good reasons! More on that in a bit. First I would like to wish you all the very best for 2014 and hope you had a wonderful holiday season.
To start off, I plan on making a few changes to this blog this year as well as to explore some different subject matter. One of the reasons for doing so is to be able to post on a more regular schedule and to offer more images of not just of my artwork, but also some of my photos. Don't worry, the adding of photos will be more to illustrate concepts and ideas - this will still be an artist's blog. I'll include some of my travel pics when required so as to add flavor to some of my stories and adventures.
Now, to the reason for my lack of posts. At the end of Nov last year, we traveled first to Hawaii then after a week of glorious sandy beaches, surf and sun we flew on to Hong Kong. Trying to post from over there proved problematic to say the least so I gave up and planned on posting again as soon as we returned to the US. Well, to cut a long story short, on the 22nd of Dec, I fell from a bicycle and broke my leg! This meant a hospital stay, an operation and some time spent in the recovery ward.
Thankfully M took great care of me and kept this rather traumatic event in perspective. I was also fortunate in that my good friends Richard and MY offered us a place to stay while I recuperated. They live in the Northeastern part of Hong Kong in a wonderful house overlooking a tidal bay with the Pat Sin Mountains as a backdrop. For me I couldn't have wished for a better place to recover. The incredible view aside, each day I could look out as egrets, herons and kingfishers went about their daily life. Black kites soared overhead, a nearby island held a pair of breeding white-breasted sea eagles, and thrushes and flycatchers could be found in the woodland behind the house. All in all, perfect for an artist and birdwatcher like me but I realized that it was going to be a long road so tried to relax as best as I could and took each day at a time.
Presently we are back in the US so I will start regular posting from now on. The heavily cropped image above is of a young Ring-billed Gull - a species I look forward so seeing again soon. Size is about 4" x 5", watercolor on Canson paper.