Moon Eagle Mandala

A mandala of 40 eagles silhouetted against the full moon as they return to their nest

This, Tony Mayo's most recent painting, was accepted for this year’s Artist for Conservation International Exhibition and Tour. Artists for Conservation consists of a group of 500 of some of the world’s leading naturalist artists representing 50 countries world-wide. Artists donate a minimum of fifty percent of all proceeds from Artist for Conservation’s sales to various international conservation efforts.?

"On the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, I squatted for one year in a small driftwood shack covered with plastic. One kilometer up the coast from my shanty, on top of a rugged cliff, grew a huge Douglas Fir. That very tall tree hung out over the Pacific Ocean and in its crown cradled an enormous Bald Eagle’s nest. I loved watching that family of birds swoop in and out of their nest and hunt along the coastline. I had a little window in my shack from which I could view that nest. One day the adult male eagle flew so close to my window that I could actually see the minute details of his eye."

"Although eagles don’t see very well at night, sometimes an eagle will hunt far from home and it will be evening before it returns to its nest. In this mandala, an eagle descends into its nest, its outstretched wings and body perfectly silhouetted against a full moon."