Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee 8″ x 8″
I clearly have a thing for Chickadees, since this is the third one I’ve painted recently. I’m pretty happy with how they’ve turned out. And even happier that one has sold!
Posts tagged ‘bird art’
Dec 5
Starling
Starling 8″ x 8″
Once again I was challenged by the shiny, shimmery, iridescence of feathers. I was trying to capture all of the colours that were reflected back from his feathers, but also wanted to show how shiny he was. I don’t think I succeeded (but I like how the head turned out).
Rufous Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird 8″ x 8″
After my previous hummingbird fail, I wasn’t sure how this one would go. I find the shiny iridescent feathers difficult to paint. What colour do I choose for something that looks green and orange at the same time? Keeping it simple works best for me. Paint less colours instead of more, and let your imagination fill in the rest.
Robin
Robin 8″ x 8″
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker 8″ x 8″
It has been a long time since my last post. I got stuck on a painting that I just didn’t like. I think there were too many colours and I couldn’t make it work. It sat on my easel for a couple of weeks, then I had to move on. This latest painting goes in the opposite direction – using very muted colour .
And here is the previous painting that I gave up on:
Blue Jay
Blue Jay 8″ x 8″
While painting this, I was watching this:
And I think that’s when they started winning!
House Sparrow
House Sparrow 8″ x 8″
Obviously, I paint birds because I like them. I love to be able to identify the birds that I see, but other than how they look and sound, I don’t really know much. With each bird I paint, I have been reading a little about each one. I am really enjoying that part of the process. Here’s some bird trivia: House Sparrows always live near humans – often surviving on seeds, livestock feed and human food. You probably see them in your backyard all the time, but you won’t find them in the forest.
I have lots of bird prints up on Etsy. Take a look!
Steller’s Jay
Steller’s Jay 8″ x 8″
The first time I ever saw a Steller’s Jay was during a visit to BC, before moving here. There was a group of them in a picnic area where we stopped. I was fascinated by their beautiful colour, but nervous about their loud squawking and aggressive swooping. Obviously they were used to people sharing snacks with them. The ones I see around the city these day are much more polite.
