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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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How to paint an Egret in acrylics: Lesson 2
Read more: How to paint an Egret in acrylics: Lesson 2In the previous post, I shared how I start an acrylic bird painting. In this lesson, I will show the next steps. Next, I start refining my lights and darks, and mid-tones, correcting where needed. I use mainly the palette I mentioned in lesson 1: titanium white, burnt umber, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, payne’s grey,…
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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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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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Pas de Deux: Sandhill Cranes
Read more: Pas de Deux: Sandhill CranesA couple of weeks ago, I saw some Sandhill cranes -which I think are absolutely lovely birds – in a field in mid-Michigan. There were three juveniles, and two adults. Then, the adults stated to do the most amazing thing: they began to do a mating dance, right there. I was in awe of their…
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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…
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Canadian Geese Family
Read more: Canadian Geese FamilyEach morning, there is a family of wild geese that visits the shoreline near where I am staying. I couldn’t resist painting these beautiful birds. Geese on Lake Huron, oils, 11 X 14″
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Egret in Wetlands: acrylic painting
Read more: Egret in Wetlands: acrylic paintingRecently, I decided that a smartphone was not adequate for taking bird photos, so I decided to buy a DSLR (Canon) with an extender lens (until I can afford a real telephoto). I then became a bird stalker. Specifically, I began stalking one of the egrets who stays around a nearby marsh. Day by day,…