During the winter months in north Michigan, some of the most frequent birds visiting feeders will be chickadees. They stay on through the snow and sub-zero temperatures, and to me they are a symbol of hardiness and resilience.
I used a limited palette for this painting: ultramarine blue, titanium white, burnt umber, burnt sienna and cadmium yellow medium. Because it is overcast for much of the winter here (it is either snowing, or getting ready to snow, it seems!) I chose a cloudy atmosphere for the setting.