FEATURED ARTWORK
Vermillion on the Wing
Oil Painting by CC Wari
In its original form, Vermillion on the Wing is a striking 54" x 30" recreation of the site where California Condors are released, Vermillion Cliffs in northern Arizona. The intriguing canyon in the foreground holds the waters of the mighty Colorado River deep in its midst. Three rare California Condors soar at the head of the cliff face enjoying the updrafts present at this spectacular place. The cliffs and canyons are blanketed with subtle, vibrant color that flows seamlessly across the canvas. The painting captures the epic scale of the massive southwestern mesa revealing the geological history and quiet grandeur of this magical place just upstream of the Grand Canyon.
Slideshow
Vermillion on the Wing
By, CC Wari
Vermillion Cliffs is the site where California Condors were first released back into the wild after teetering on the brink of extinction. With numbers down to only 22 birds left in existence, the remaining individuals were captured and the species was brought back to life through breeding programs like the one in Boise Idaho at The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds Of Prey. This organization has led the way back for the Condor releasing over 270 Condors and producing 16 -20 chicks a year. Without these organizations and their efforts, several raptor species would likely not exist on our planet. This is why Art With Impact Gallery chooses to donate all funds (minus printing and clerical costs) from the sales of all prints of this painting to The Peregrine Funds and it’s World Center for Birds of Prey.
This depiction of the Condors soaring at Vermillion Cliffs is a celebratory depiction by the artist CC Wari of the triumphant Condors soaring once again over their native lands. They are sentinels, sailing the updrafts keeping a keen eye on the cliffs and flats stretching out below soaking up the colors of this amazing landscape.
Conservation Takes Flight at Vermillion Cliffs
Long before humans arrived in North America, these finely tuned scavengers relied in part on hunters—sabertooth cats and other large predators—for carrion. Condors’ clean-up role hasn’t changed, but new hunters to the scene can unintentionally leave behind a deadly contaminant: lead from spent ammunition.
The California Condor is a hardy species that survived mass extinctions of the last Ice Age, yet the entire population was reduced to just 22 individuals by the 1980s. Scientists suspected that lead poisoning played a role in the species’ decline, and recent research by The Peregrine Fund confirmed that over half of all condor deaths are due to this one preventable cause.
The efforts of The Peregrine Fund have resulted in over 100 free-flying Condors from the Grand Canyon to Utah.
Bring Vermillion on the Wing home
and support the conservation work of The Peregrine Fund.
