I am humbled and honored to be 1 of 20 worldwide artists (over 6,000 artists with over 17,000 submitted images) who were selected by a Fine Art America jury to have their art presented in large scale on a billboard (mine is 14 x 48 feet) some where in the US. Now my “Flyingfish” have perched right here in Baltimore, MD and have been seen flocked by small birds making for a pleasurable and humorous sight south of downtown on Interstate 95 leading into the city. It is the perfect image as a companion to the National Aquarium, a facility I am very familiar with through my teaching of a first year graduate school biological illustration course in the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine @ Johns Hopkins since 1996.

9 whimsical blue, lavender, pink, and cream colored four winged flyingfish with large eyes and large pectoral and pelvic fins fly through the air above blue and white iconic wave and air patterns on an aqua blue background in this whimsical flying fish ocean nature panel. Pectoral fins aid fish in navigating water; those of flying fish assist them in lifting from the water and gliding in air currents achieving gliding times of over 40 seconds and to travel distances greater than 1200 feet. The California flying fish Cypselurus californicus is known as a four-winged flying fish because of its extremely long fins that aid these funny and fancy frequent flyers in skipping and gliding across the water. Here is a look at my flying fish nature panel available for purchase.

I would like to thank everyone who has supported my art and this effort. Please visit phelpsmandala.com for over 1100 nature images representing a 10-year project that celebrates Mother Nature’s biodiversity in whimsical and creative ways. I hope you will wander with wonder in all of your travels—you never know what will fly right by! All my best!