Set behind abstract drips and multi-colored streaks are the realistic works of Frank Gonzales, bright acrylic paintings that capture birds in moments of rest on top of tree branches, flowers, or prickly cacti. The additional marks bring colors that are often not found in nature, pairing them with birds that have subdued feathers shades like owls or larks.
Gonzales sources his visual information from reference books and images he finds on the internet, pulling them together to create compositions that might never occur in nature. “One image will spark another and the process takes shape from there,” says Gonzales on his website. “I find this way of working to be both exciting and uncertain. My various marks and color glitches mimic this uncertainty resulting in visual stillness and movement.”
You can see more of Gonzales’ mixed flora and fauna paintings, as well as take a look into work in progress, on his Instagram.
“Cactus Wren and Nopalito” (2016), acrylic on panel, 12″ x 12″, all images via Frank Gonzales
“Azure-Winged Magpie & Totem” (2016), acrylic on panel, 16″ x 20″
“Speciman” (2015), acrylic on panel, 20″ x 24″
“Double Horned Larks” (2016), acrylic on panel, 12″ x 12″
“Sacred Source” (2015), acrylic on panel, 8″ x 8″
“Magpies and Mother in Law’s” (2015), acrylic on panel, 16″ x 20″
“Buff Bellied Hummingbird and Hellebore” (2015), acrylic on panel, 12″ x 12″
“Mirando al Futuro” (2015), acrylic on panel, 36″ x 36″