A Year of Birds 2023: May

May is coming in windy and cool, but with sunlight sparkling on the water when it peeks through the clouds. The egrets are back in the marshes across from Misery Bay, and I watched one as it hunted frogs and preened in between. They are beautiful with their lovely plumes of feathers this time ofContinue reading “A Year of Birds 2023: May”

AuSable Exhibit

The other day, I was going through Grayling, and saw that my artwork is now up at the AuSable Artisan Village gallery. They did a really nice job with the exhibit, and there are some incredible artists there, as well as being genuinely nice people. Plus, the coffee is good – a huge plus forContinue reading “AuSable Exhibit”

Art Fair Next Week

In ten days, the first art fair of the spring that I will have a booth in will be held. It will be in Rogers City, and I have been busy getting prints ready, framing paintings, printing fine art cards and taking care of all the tasks to prepare. I am a bit nervous, too,Continue reading “Art Fair Next Week”

A Year of Birds: April 2023

While still cold, with occasional flurries of snow, the days are finally getting a bit warmer, with temperatures creeping into the mid- to upper-30s at times. While snow is still on the ground, it is gradually melting, and the mornings are misty with the evaporation in the air. The ice is nearly melted on theContinue reading “A Year of Birds: April 2023”

A Year of Birds: March 2023

March has come in cold and blustery, with several inches of snow falling, as if to make up for the warmer weather at the end of February.  Ice has formed on the bay again, and it is bitter cold. One early morning during this cold spell, I saw a group of juvenile eagles out onContinue reading “A Year of Birds: March 2023”

A Year of Birds: February 2023

The warm spell at the January didn’t last. It is, after all, winter in northeast Michigan. The temperatures dropped to a chilly -5 degrees F in the early morning, and I am feeding the birds twice a day now (and the deer, too! They come by regularly for snacks). The ground has turned from aContinue reading “A Year of Birds: February 2023”

A Year of Birds: January 2023

January has come in cold for a few days after a warm spell (if you consider 35 degrees F warm, that is!). But it has snowed, the temperatures have dropped, and today I saw a mute swan swimming on the bay near the snow-covered beach. It glided silently along, beautiful. A couple of days later,Continue reading “A Year of Birds: January 2023”

Favorite Photos of 2022: Part 2

Here are some of my favorite photos from 2022 that I took. June: Ruffed Grouse July: Mute Swan July: Two Kingfishers July: Sandhill Crane mother and baby August: Hawk August: Tern with fish September: Blue Heron September: Sandhill Cranes October: Bald Eagles October: Yellow Legs migrating November: Young Eagle flying November: Golden eye ducks migratingContinue reading “Favorite Photos of 2022: Part 2”

Favorite Photos 2022 Part 1

This year, I took many photos, and want to share my favorites during this review of the year. January: rough legged hawk February: snowy owl March: Great Blue Heron April: Golden Eye May: Wood Ducks May: Phoebe May: Great Egret

Tern Fishing on Lake Huron

I love it when the wind raises on Lake Huron, and the waves come crashing in. This painting is of a tern fishing on a windy day in a bay off of the lake. I spent nearly an hour a couple of months ago watching him swoop into the water and fly back out, fightingContinue reading “Tern Fishing on Lake Huron”

Heron in the Marsh: acrylic painting

A few months ago, I found a heron in a marsh off of Misery Bay, and wanted to paint him. I used sgraffito technique for the grass, and wanted to experiment with getting a sense of light on the water. This was painted using my typical palette of ultramarine, yellow ochre, yellow hansa, burnt umber,Continue reading “Heron in the Marsh: acrylic painting”

A Year of Birds: November 2022

Part 2 One morning during the second week of November, I got up before dawn, and watched while the sun rose. It was beautiful, and there were the ducks, enjoying the early morning light, looking like black silhouettes against the peach-colored water. I feel blessed to see sights like this, when nature proclaims its beautyContinue reading “A Year of Birds: November 2022”