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A Year of (Michigan) Birds: July
Read more: A Year of (Michigan) Birds: JulyThe gulls have taken over the point to the north of the bay. They can be seen sunning, dozens of them perched on the rocks and walking around. When I go kayaking by the point, I can see the mergansers and their babies. They have 19! The babies are so cute, and follow in the…
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A Year of Birds: April
Read more: A Year of Birds: AprilBy mid-April, the migratory birds are back, and it is a delight to both see them soaring in the air and hear their calls in the trees along the beach. The other day as some friends and I were hiking, we came upon an amazing sight: a group of 7 cedar waxwings was perched on…
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A Year of Birds: February
Read more: A Year of Birds: FebruarySince I am new to living in north Michigan near Lake Huron, I was surprised to discover that the bald eagle not only stays all winter long, but juveniles can often be seen hanging out near Misery Bay and other frozen marshes next to the now frozen lakeshore. They will at times hunt together along…
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Flickers on the Ground (acrylic)
Read more: Flickers on the Ground (acrylic)I think flickers are beautiful birds. A couple of months ago, I saw some in the side yard, busily eating ants (these woodpeckers like ants from any source, including an anthill!) This was painted in acrylic with a limited palette: titanium white, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber, yellow ochre and sap green.
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A Year of Birds: January
Read more: A Year of Birds: JanuaryWhile I often share my paintings here, I have rarely shared my personal reference photos. I will be posting some of my favorite bird photos over the next few months, organized month-by-month, as well as some thoughts on each month. First is January. When it is January in north Michigan, a blanket of snow several…
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Geese taking off in late afternoon: acrylic painting
Read more: Geese taking off in late afternoon: acrylic paintingI love the birds around Lake Huron, and last week I saw this beautiful sight that I decided to paint: Canadian Geese beginning to fly just before sunset. I used the following colors for this painting: ultramarine blue, cerulean blue; cadmium red medium; titanium white; burnt umber and Lamp Black.
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Egrets Flying: acrylic painting
Read more: Egrets Flying: acrylic paintingI decided to paint some white egrets flying over the marsh in northern Michigan, since these birds are beautiful and have begun showing up in a small town I was staying at in recent years. First, the painting, then the photos I took (I also used several others out of the dozens I took for…
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Birds of Michigan Series: Winter Partners
Read more: Birds of Michigan Series: Winter PartnersI love to paint birds, and winter scenes, so this painting combines these two. One is a sparrow, the other a chickadee. What I love about the sparrow is the fact that his posture reminds me of a “grumpy old man” sitting there on the bush. These guys came to the feeders last winter, and…
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Michigan Bird Series: Female Cardinal
Read more: Michigan Bird Series: Female CardinalLast spring my roomate took a picture of a female cardinal in the snow (yes, there was snow until April here; I thought I had moved to the land where winter never ends by the end of my first Michigan winter!) As I mentioned before, I love cardinals, so I decided to paint here. I…
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Birds of Michigan series: Titmouse
Read more: Birds of Michigan series: TitmouseRecently, I’ve been painting birds. I did a couple for one of the bathrooms in the house I live in, to complement a series of birdhouses that a roommate put up. They look nice together, along with the shower curtain that has…birds. I live where the birds constantly come and visit, due to the feeders…