Artist and naturalist · Portland, Oregon
Birds, sea life and folklore in ink and watercolor
By Portland artist Alexandra (Ally) Mikel.
Selected work
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Birds and sea life
Alexandra Mikel is an artist and naturalist in Portland, Oregon. Her ink and watercolor work brings birds, sea life and creatures from folklore together in one place. If you spend time watching birds or looking closely at the natural world, start with the bird drawings. The sea life and folklore collections offer a wider view of her work.
The bird collection ranges from familiar North American subjects to birds that invite a second look. A Barred owl sits on a mossy branch. A Harpy eagle perches in an ink drawing. Two Atlantic puffins touch beaks in a watercolor. A Green pheasant walks across the page, while a Cedar waxwing rests on a twig. Each piece has its own subject and medium, with enough detail to reward a closer look.
The sea life collection currently includes Giant sea kelp, an ink and watercolor study set against purple water. It is a different shape and setting from the bird portraits, and an easy place to continue if you came for nature art. Use the Birds and Fish & Marine Life collection links to see the work at a larger size and browse the rest of each group.
Creatures from stories, and more of the work
Medusa and Wolpertinger bring myth and folklore into the collection. Medusa appears in an ink and watercolor portrait with green snakes for hair. Wolpertinger, a horned creature from German folklore, appears in ink. These works sit alongside the observed birds and sea life, showing the range of subjects on the site without asking a visitor to know the stories first.
Alexandra's work also includes sculpture, ceramics and photography. Those collections have their own pages, so you can move from drawing to three-dimensional pieces or photographs without losing your place. The Painting page gathers the ink and watercolor pieces, and the About page introduces Ally and her practice. For questions about the work, commissions or prints, use the contact details below. The GopherPop shop also carries prints and gifts featuring art by Ally and Gina Mikel.
Browse the selected work above, then follow the subject that catches your eye. Naturalists, birders and anyone who enjoys a close look at an animal or an imagined creature can start with the artwork itself and keep exploring from there.
About
Alexandra (Ally) Mikel is an artist and naturalist in Portland, Oregon. She illustrates birds, sea life and the creatures of myth and folklore in ink and watercolor.
Every October Ally draws for Inktober, one ink piece a day. Many of the pieces here began that way.
Contact
Commissions, prints and questions: me@alexandramikel.com.