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Finished stencil for American Robin Flock in Flight.
Photo (c) Luke Franke / National Audubon Society
I am a self-taught paper cutout & stencil artist based in the Hudson Valley. Inspired by traditional Japanese stencil textiles and the Mingei folk art movement, I have been practicing art since 1999. I am learning about local wildlife and natural environments from many generous local experts. I paint what I learn.
My greeting cards and art prints are produced in-house and on-demand, using high-quality paper made from sustainable sources. Past commissions include artworks for New York City’s Department of Transportation, NYC Parks, Atlantic Magazine, and National Audubon Society.
Radio
I host a monthly radio program Beakuency: Meet Bird People in Hudson Valley! on Wave Farm's WGXC, a community radio station based in Greene County, NY.
FUD
I am a founding member of FUD. It is a collaborative project. The goal is to explore, not to advance. We have a space. We will do things there. Currently our space is adjacent to Feinberg Commons, a community-focused shared exhibition space in Brooklyn, NY, of which development I am involved.
American Robin Flock in Flight, the piece featured in the Audubon Magazine.
Beakuency welcomes Christopher Funkhouser, a writer, musician, and multimedia artist based in Staatsburg, Dutchess county. Chris hosts the POET RAY’D YO radio program at WGXC. His latest project “Media Safari” documents his walks in the woods alongside the Hudson River. The natural sounds he captures that feature many birds and his writing on these “safaris” remind us to cherish each unique and ephemeral moment we experience in nature. He shares how curiosity and technology help us become more attentive and expand our perceptions.
Bird-inspired music of the month: Most Serene Congress, the improvisational musical ensemble, of which Chris is a member.
Reilly Pond is part of Wilson M. Powell Wildlife Sanctuary in Old Chatham, NY. The sanctuary is owned and maintained by Alan Devoe Bird Club and provides a great deal of natural diversity in approximately 145 acres including a stream, a marshy area, glades and the pond.
I created this image of Reilly Pond’s wildlife with the help of Mike Birmingham, an ADBC member and entomologist. The image includes:
- Red Maple (leaf and seeds)
- Black Willow (leaf)
- Belted Kingfisher
- Common Green Darner
- Great Blue Heron
- Wood Frog
- Broad-leaved Cattail
- Northern Water Snake
- Snapping Turtle
- Elm leaf Beetle
- Glossy Pillar
- Great Duckweed
- Cinnamon Fern
- Philonotis
- Algae
- Beaver
11 x 14 inches. Printed on white, high-quality, acid-free fine art paper. It has a beautiful texture and is 100% fiber made from cotton linters. These linters are considered "recovered fibers" by the EPA. By using linters, it is putting to use what would have become waste.
The Hall of the New York State Environment is my favorite section at the American Museum of Natural History. I liked to pretend that their installations were portals to other parts of the world and imagine walking into them. I wanted to present the paper cutout pieces used to create my cyanotype art in a way similar to how the hall felt to me.
This project is site-specific and combines cyanotype and paper cutout art. Production takes place at a variety of local nature spots and historic sites in the Hudson Valley. The cyanotype pieces were activated by the sunlight, and shadows of cutout created the pattern. They were designed based on what inspired me at the site that time and day.
I tried to make each lightbox look like a window in which you can see the sunlight from the other side of the portal. Lightboxes will be installed in the dark at the FUD space. This installation is funded by Columbia County Creative Catalyst Grant, CREATE Council on the Arts' initiative sponsored by the Columbia County Legislators.
FUD is in the old waterfront building in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The address is 481 Van Brunt St 11C. We’re opening on Friday, June 28th at 5pm. Call 347.470.3061 for more info.
I am delighted to have my Scarlet Tanager at Constitution Marsh piece featured on the invite of Spring Benefit 2024 Timeless Tides: Legacy and Vision at Constitution Marsh.
"Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary is at the heart of Audubon’s work to protect birds and the places they need in New York. On Sunday, May 5, 2024, join us as we gather at the home of Mary Elizabeth and Jeff Bunzel, overlooking the Marsh to celebrate Constitution Marsh, its history, its current and critical conservation initiatives, as well as a vision for an even greater impact in training and mentoring future climate and conservation leaders!"
Thanks Shane Sater for introducing my art and Beakuency, my radio show focused on bird people in the Hudson Valley, in “The Best Nature-focused Websites and Podcasts” on Wild With Nature where he shares bilingual (EN/ES) stories of birds, plants, and other creatures, celebrating how nature connects us all.
I wrote about his stories in this blog post.
I created this cover illustration for One Planet, One Future, The Nature Conservancy’s 2023 global Annual Report. I tried to capture the theme of seeking solutions that balance the needs of people and nature presented in the stories that appear in this publication.
Mayuko created a stunning custom illustration for the cover of The Nature Conservancy’s 2023 global Annual Report, one of our flagship publications. She brought our report’s themes to life elegantly with an illustration that highlighted animals, landscapes and people in striking relationship with one another—using negative space, bold colors and a dynamic layout. She was collaborative, thoughtful and considerate to work with, providing a variety of visual concepts and working closely with us to refine the final product. Our team was blown away by this illustration!
– Wilson Peden, Associate Director of Editorial & Content, The Nature Conservancy
I created cover and opener illustrations for Swarthmore College Bulletin Winter 2024 issue. The opener image accompanies stories of Swarthmore's alumni advocating for women's health, food security, and human rights.
I think we find a sense of hope in working with one another. So discussions with Phillip Stern, the designer of the Bulletin, were an important part of making these pieces about hope in fraught times. We chatted not only about the art direction but also birds and nature, optimism and fear, the role of art in this world and the time that we live in right now. It helped set the uplifting and thoughtful mood for the artworks.
Mayuko’s cover and story opener for the Bulletin are stunning! Her clean but evocative style of collage and stencil is refreshing and flexible. A great collaborator, she helped us to explore ways to visually welcome readers into difficult topics. Her sensitivity to the subject-matter and artistic innovation are both greatly appreciated. We wouldn’t hesitate to hire her again.
—Phillip Stern, Designer, Swarthmore College Bulletin
I did an interview with Natural Earth Paint for their Eco Artist of the Month series. I'm grateful for this opportunity to discuss natural pigments, birding, nature as subject matter, and the influence of the Mingei folk art movement on my work. Natural Earth Paint is an award-winning and Gold certified Green America business that uses natural earth and mineral pigments and organic ingredients to make completely safe, sustainable, and beautiful art supplies for children and fine artists. I've been using their natural pigments and arabic gum to create the Birds of Hudson Valley painting series.
Hooded Mergansers over Ashokan Reservoir, Shokan, Ulster County
Upstate New York Bird paintings: Hand-cut and stencil painted on stained wood panel 8" W x 10" H x 1.5" D. The wood panel is stained with Purecolor, the company voted “Best Eco-Friendly Stain on the Market” by Business Insider in 2019 and 2020. Stencil was painted with natural pigment from Natural Earth Paint. I write about each piece on my blog. Original paintings and art prints are available at my Etsy store.
Lack Lazuli’s Birds of Boulder is a collaborative project with Colorado-based artist Lack Lazuli. This art print features five birds from Colorado that appear in Trouts and Dipper, Lack Lazuli's guitar and field recording album released in July 2023, for which I created the bird painting for its album cover art.
This art print comes with a digital download of a mini album that includes field recordings of those five birds with their descriptions playfully narrated by Lack Lazuli. Download is available on Bandcamp.
Designed and printed in Upstate New York on white, high-quality, acid-free, 100% cotton fine art paper. Released from my DIY record label, Rabbit Rules Recording Studio.
Small 8.5" x 11"
Large 11" x 14"
Paper weight: 250gsm (64lb.)
Packaged in a compostable cello sleeve with sturdy backing chipboard.
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