It’s snowing a lot today, and the Blue Jays are feeding on corn that gets scattered on the ground, as well as seeds the other birds drop from the three seed feeders on our front porch. I enjoy their color and curiosity, in spite of how aggressive they are. So, this inspired a painting:
The blues were done with a mixture of cobalt blue, ultramarine and cerulean blue in varying proportions; the darks were raw umber, ultramarine blue and a hint of black. The whites were a mixture of white with grays from ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, with the highlights titanium white with a hint of yellow ochre and cad. yellow light.
In the winter, if water is iced over, jays will often peck and crack the ice, letting themselves drink; this also opens up water for smaller birds, so they do help the others out! I love their inquisitive looks, which I tried to capture here.