Marysa K. Gunter

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Weekly Digital Journal

Artwork

Bearded Vulture (White)

/\ Gouache painting of a Bearded Vulture. /\

/\ Index card with Information on the Bearded Vulture. /\

Reflection

Bearded Vulture (White) is a visual and scientific study of the European bird, the Bearded Vulture. Through the use of Gouache paints, I am able to represent the Vultures dramatic plumage and intense eyes as its focus is set upon the viewer. The orange/red background allows for the stark, white of the feathers to contrast nicely. The vibrant background is also meant reference how the Bearded Vulture dye their feathers red with Iron-oxide rich deposits. Alongside the illustration is a standard sized blue index card with handwritten information on the Bearded Vulture species. The information card includes the scientific name(s), entomology of the name(s), diet, habitats, and habits. Bearded Vulture (White) is meant to be a companion piece to another illustration of this impressive vulture, where instead of white feathers, it will have its dyed feathers instead. I will create the second piece for another class time to complete the set.

Research

\/ Spotify link to a podcast episode on Bearded Vultures \/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/26SGmhT3HDnc90u8Yuegbt?si=Hm9tR0d5SCW5_RT1cMrQtA

(The creator of the podcast included a bibliography in the description of the audio.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_vulture

\/ Reference photo \/

( Could not find the original posting/author of the image. Found it on Pinterest)

This may contain: a large white and black bird sitting on top of a tree branch in front of a chain link fence

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Quick Challenge Reflection.

Through the Quick Challenges, I learned how much I enjoyed having a prompt to draw inspiration and ideas from. Even though the prompts were simple, they gave me so much freedom to explore. For each prompt I would search for the definition of the word and could draw inspiration from the synonyms and even the antonyms. The Quick Challenges that I enjoyed the most in outcome would be the Water, Fabric, and Conversation prompts. Through the Water prompt, I tested with bleach, inks, and found out how to use water with charcoal in a successful manner. The Fabric prompt encouraged me to work with different fabrics to be able to create an image. The Conversation prompt pushed me to go beyond just creating artwork with physical mediums. I created an audio of overlapping birdsong which included over twenty Florida Native birds that I have personally seen and heard. After all of the prompts exposed me to new subject matter and materials, it has left me wanting to explore more of the possibilities available with audio files and clips. I enjoyed the end product of the birdsong audio from the Conversation prompt and would like to explore more into creating "songs" with birdsong.

Monday, December 8, 2025

Multiple Panel - The Observer

The Observer

Charcoal on Charcoal and Bristol paper. Fishing hooks. Fishing line.

6 ft. Wide x 5.3 ft. Height.

\/ Details Photos \/

\/ Artist Statement \/

The Observer is an example of the natural world that I see and interact with daily. My love and appreciation towards animals are from my personal experience of living on a farm, where I have many interactions with wildlife. The Observer in question is a Great Blue Heron, my personal favorite of birds that I see at home. These large, magnificent birds are found near marshes and other shallow waters hunting patiently for fish, amphibians, snakes, and sometimes small rodents. I chose the Great Blue Heron because of its unwavering patience and watchful eyes that observe the surroundings.

There are times when we get a call informing us that cattle have gotten out during the night, and we must retrieve them as soon as possible, often right after the call. During these nighttime drives, we will see other animals such as White Tail Deer, Raccoons, Opossums, and our own horses and cows. The multiple charcoal drawings hanging beneath the wings of the heron depict these mentioned animals that I have observed through trail cameras and going outside during the night. Their eyes reflect to us, a sign that they know we are there, and they are comfortable yet apprehensive with our presence. These images of animals hanging by fishing lines and fishing hooks act as a commemoration of family ties and memories of fishing with my grandfather. My grandfather, who I call Papa, is the reason for my love of animals, and my love of working on the land.

The Observer is meant to show the oppressive quiet the night can emanate and how even in the dark you can feel a sense of calm while being watched by the animals. However, it is notable that not everyone that goes outside at night feels the same calmness that I have discussed. Since I live in the woods, I am constantly surrounded by trees, ponds, animals of all species, and the ever-present state of natural quiet. Even though the “quiet” of the night is often filled with sounds of Cicadas, Crickets, Frogs, and other creatures active at night, it is a quiet found in nature. In this quiet, I find myself in the utmost peace surrounded by the sounds and watchers of the night.

\/ In process \/

Reflection/Notes:

The heron is taped together panels of charcoal paper. The smaller images of animals are Bristol paper that has the edges ripped to create an organic border.

I chose to use charcoal due to its ability to be more forgiving as a medium as well as its ability to create darker images, making it easier to achieve a nighttime scene.

I used water to spread the charcoal and to make it adhere to the paper more in order to create a darker layer with a lower chance of smudging. I used both compressed and vine charcoal. For the details I used different erasers (Pink Pearl, Staedtler, and an electric eraser) to get the different quality of highlights I was trying to achieve.