-
Mute Swans on the River
Read more: Mute Swans on the RiverI love the beauty of swans, and when I saw these two on a nearby river, I couldn’t resist painting them. I hope you enjoy their elegant grace as much as I do! As usual, my palette was limited: titanium white, burnt umber, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue and cerulean blue. The swans can be seen…
-
Female Cardinal: acrylic and oil painting
Read more: Female Cardinal: acrylic and oil paintingI love cardinals, and chose to paint a female that I had photographed in early spring in a setting of flowers for fun.
-
Nuthatch in Early Spring: acrylic painting
Read more: Nuthatch in Early Spring: acrylic paintingI enjoy watching nuthatches creeping upside down and sideways around trees, and decided to paint this one that I saw in the early Michigan spring a few weeks ago just after it had snowed. I used a very limited palette for this painting: ultramarine blue, titanium white, burnt umber, burnt sienna and yellow ochre.
-
Juncos Under the Pines: Acrylic Painting
Read more: Juncos Under the Pines: Acrylic PaintingJuncos are small birds that are ground feeders. I often see them under the pines here in North Michigan, and decided to paint a pair of males searching for food in early spring. I used a very limited palette for this painting: ultramarine blue, burnt umber, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, sap green and titanium white.…
-
American Goldfinch: Colored Pencil
Read more: American Goldfinch: Colored PencilI have been observing finches and taking photos of them the past few weeks. I love finches because they add a spot of bright sunshine yellow to the edge of the woods or any other spot they visit.
-
Art Lesson: How to Paint a Nuthatch
Read more: Art Lesson: How to Paint a NuthatchNuthatches are one of my favorite birds. I enjoy watching them creep sideways or even upside down along the sides of a tree; or resting on a stump. In this painting lesson, I will share how I paint a nuthatch from the start. Step One: Take a photo. This can take hours, and involves “bird…
-
Bunnykins in the Snow: Colored pencil
Read more: Bunnykins in the Snow: Colored pencilAt my friend’s house in North Michigan, there is a bunny that shows up early in the morning, and in the early evening, to nibble on seeds that the birds drop from their feeders. We affectionately began calling this regular visitor, and one day I decided to draw him using colored pencils, since I want…
-
Cheetah with more definition
Read more: Cheetah with more definitionHere is the cheetah with a bit more definition to him. I added in more hair detail and spots, defined his nose more and darkened some of the darks. This was a fun project to work on!
-
Tundra Swans on Lake Huron in Michigan: oil painting
Read more: Tundra Swans on Lake Huron in Michigan: oil paintingOne of the most beautiful sights along the shores of Lake Huron in the winter are the swans. These beautiful birds float in small groups, and in the winter, look almost like small “ice chunks” when they dive their heads under water. I used a limited palette (burnt umber, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, titanium white,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…