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A Year of Birds
Read more: A Year of BirdsOctober 2022 The weather is swinging between very cold at night and warmer during the day as October starts. Today, I saw a blue heron that is still here in spite of the cooling days. This heron is one of those staying around When I went out to dinner in Presque Isle, I did…
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A Year of Birds: September 2022
Read more: A Year of Birds: September 2022September 2022 The days are still warm at the beginning of September, and there are plenty of bird sightings along the beaches and marshes. Today, on the way into town, I stopped by a local marsh on the river, and saw a pair of Greater yellow legs there, wading and fishing. Then, on the…
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A Year of Birds: August 2022
Read more: A Year of Birds: August 2022This has been a very busy month, but I am trying to find time to go birding. The sandhill pair is still hanging out near Misery Bay in the marshes, but I haven’t seen the baby. I hope it is okay, I will check on them to see. While hiking, I saw a young merganser…
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Goldfinch in late winter
Read more: Goldfinch in late winterI think that goldfinches are lovely birds. This past winter, I was house-sitting for a friend (she has three adorable dogs that require special care since they are getting older) and got an unexpected bonus: I saw this little fellow perched on a rail right outside the window. My friend is an avid birdwatcher, too,…
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On Giving Back
Read more: On Giving BackI believe that each of us has things that inspire us, concern us, and motivate us. These are the things that we are passionate about, the things that cause us to take time, effort and even donate money towards.I have several things that qualify for the above. In this post, I want to share about…
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A Year of Birds: July
Read more: A Year of Birds: JulyJuly 2022 The weather is getting warmer now each day, bringing the whine of mosquitoes and the droning buzz of deer flies. The only value I see in these pests that bite whenever I venture outdoors is that they do feed the birds and their fledglings. At a nearby park on the river, I saw…
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Portrait of a Hawk (acrylic)
Read more: Portrait of a Hawk (acrylic)I think that hawks are beautiful, and this is one that I often see hanging out off a dirt road going to the beach. I wanted to capture the beautiful eyes in this portrait.
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Shiny Cormorant: Acrylic Painting
Read more: Shiny Cormorant: Acrylic PaintingI had fun painting this cormorant; after I created his body using a mix of ultramarine and umber to create a rich black, I used gold paint mixed with sienna and blue to create the shiny feathers on his back. I also used some opalescent paint in the water for a bit of extra shine.…
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Family Outing: Acrylic Geese Painting
Read more: Family Outing: Acrylic Geese PaintingThis summer, I am exploring adding more color to my paintings. While the photo doesn’t do it justice, this one has a lot of cerulean and warm washes of sienna and some greens, and even alizarin – all colors that you can see reflected in the ever-changing waters. It was fun to paint what is…
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A Year of Birds: June 2022 (part 2)
Read more: A Year of Birds: June 2022 (part 2)The egrets can be seen in the marshes, but are quite shy, and will fly off as soon as they see me. I will keep trying, though. I also saw a sparrow on a log enjoying the sun. I love their markings and songs, which are so cheerful. As I was driving to the store…
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A Year of Birds: June 2022 part 1
Read more: A Year of Birds: June 2022 part 1The days are finally getting warmer, and there was a heat wave on the first of June: the temperature went above 80 degrees (F)- a miracle! And with the warm weather has come mosquitoes, the bane of Michigan bird watchers. Whenever I go into the marshes, clouds of them appear, and they seem to be…
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Kildeer on the Beach: oil painting
Read more: Kildeer on the Beach: oil paintingKildeer are beautiful little birds, and I love watching them on the shores of Lake Huron. In this painting, I wanted to re-create a sunny day with the kildeer in typical postures. I used my usual earth-toned palette, but added cerulean and a touch of cadmium yellow to it.