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Ducks on Lake Huron: Winter
Read more: Ducks on Lake Huron: WinterIt is fascinating to watch Lake Huron begin freezing in the winter. I happened to see some brave mallards swimming in the cold water between ice a few weeks ago, and decided to paint this scene. This was done in oil over a base of acrylic, with a palette of ultramarine and cerulean blues, titanium…
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Hope for the New Year
Read more: Hope for the New YearI don’t often post reference photos that I take for my paintings (he will probably show up on a tree limb when I paint him), but this little chickadee is so cute, I decided to put him up. But I also want to share a word of encouragement as well as 2021 starts. I realize…
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Clay Bas Relief Heron
Read more: Clay Bas Relief HeronI decided to try learning bas relief sculpture during the holidays. I still haven’t learned to create the clay support yet, but decided to create a Great Blue Heron in clay. This is my first attempt at bas relief; it was fun! Well, I have a start on it; I will update on my progress…
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Juvenile Blue Heron Painting
Read more: Juvenile Blue Heron PaintingA few weeks ago, I was at a restaurant in north Michigan when my friends and I sighted a young blue heron outside our window. One friend (Julie Bond) took a photo, which I used as the basis for this painting of a juvenile blue heron. I went with a limited palette, and used a…
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Wood Thrush
Read more: Wood ThrushWood thrushes are beautiful birds that like to nest in high trees (therefore, near woodlands). This painting is based on one I saw a few weeks ago at a local aviary. I painted this in oils, using a limited palette (ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber, cad yellow, titanium white, sap green0
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Getting Ready for Christmas (early)
Read more: Getting Ready for Christmas (early)Because last year, I had trouble keeping up with the demand for hand-painted bird ornaments, I decided to start early this year. Today, I started painting the first ones: I sold a bunch of these last year through Wild Birds Unlimited locally; at craft fairs and by commission. They are fun to do! I’m hoping…
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Tundra Swans: acrylic painting
Read more: Tundra Swans: acrylic paintingTundra swans can be seen in northern Michigan along the shores of Lake Huron. I love the way they look; like boats gliding along the surface. This is a painting I did of one section along the shore during the early evening. My goal was to capture the peaceful feeling at this time of day;…
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Male Cardinal: acrylic bird painting
Read more: Male Cardinal: acrylic bird paintingI love cardinals, and when I saw this one when I was visiting the zoo to take some wildlife shots (he was hanging around, almost tame, let me get within a few feet of him) I decided to do his portrait. I have learned some interesting things about cardinals over the years. Their feathers are…
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American Goldfinch: acrylic painting
Read more: American Goldfinch: acrylic paintingI love the bright colors of goldfinches, and when I saw this one in a pine tree a week ago, knew that I wanted to paint him. This painting was done in acrylic, with my usual palette
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Bobwhite: acrylic painting
Read more: Bobwhite: acrylic paintingGrowing up in the country, I used to love to hear the call of the bobwhites from the hedgerows on the country road that led to our farm. I chose to put this one surrounded by orchard grass as he sits on a small stump. Bobwhite: acrylic painting, 11 X 14″ canvas board The palette…
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White-faced Ibis
Read more: White-faced IbisWhite -faced ibis are southern water birds that are small and have a large beak for probing through wetlands. This painting is based on some photos I took of one recently. My roommate and I both think he looks a bit like Gonzo from Sesame Street, and that he is adorable.
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The Importance of Field Notes
Read more: The Importance of Field NotesI love to paint birds and other wildlife, and to depict them in their natural habitats. In order to create my paintings, I often take field notes and do “quick sketches” on site. I have not shared my sketches because they are quick, rough and my subjects for drawing often move very, very quickly. But…