Sandy Hokanson: FIRST SNOW...ROBIN & CRABAPPLES-- (Note Card)

FIRST SNOW... ROBIN AND CRABAPPLES -Note Card- by Rochester artist Sandy Hokanson. "I've thought about doing this illustration for over a year, During a Christmas Bird Count with the local Audubon Chapter we found a group of Robins  in a crabapple tree. Most Robins head south for winter - but a few always stay around and we found dozens feasting on the crabapples.  I took photos of course and this one image has stayed in my mind. Such a peaceful scene - calm yet magical as a simple everyday Robin became something much more extraordinary."-- Sandy Hokanson- September 2023

Poem on back: THE FIRST SNOW OF WINTER BLANKETS THE CRABAPPLE TREE, AN EVERYDAY ROBIN IS TRANSFORMED INTO AN EXOTIC GIFT, I STAND IN SILENCE- FULL OF WONDER

Sandy: "For many years I painted in a realistic style using acrylics or watercolors.  Now I prefer the challenge of focusing less on every feather and more on creating a clean design of each bird." "Some of my finished works are created by making detailed drawing using permanent inks which are then scanned into my computer. Others are hand drawn directly into the computer using either a mouse or a special pen and pad.  Next I'll create a unique palette of colors to layer over the drawings.  Each color is a separate layer - which means some pieces can have up to 25 layers or more. The end result is a crisp, graphic illustration."