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

A Year of Birds: September 2022

                                        September 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 theContinue reading “A Year of Birds: September 2022”

A Year of Birds: July

July 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 sawContinue reading “A Year of Birds: July”

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 storeContinue reading “A Year of Birds: June 2022 (part 2)”

A Year of Birds: May 2022

A Year of Birds The first week of May, my friends and I drive back north from North Carolina. There are plenty of birds to see, but we are in a hurry to make the long trip. Finally, we are back home, and to reward ourselves, my friends and I indulge in a quick tripContinue reading “A Year of Birds: May 2022”

Nocturne on Lake Huron: oil painting

I love painting various types of light, and different types of day. This painting is inspired by how beautiful Lake Huron and its inlets are in the evening, when the water is a symphony of blues and silvers. The painting is of a great egret silhouetted on the lake. I used my typical palette (ultramarineContinue reading “Nocturne on Lake Huron: oil painting”

Egret in the Marsh: Acrylic painting

I love egrets, and created this painting of one based on observations done this past fall. This was done with my typical palette: ultramarine, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, titanium white, burnt umber. I also added a bit of cerulean.

A Year of (Michigan) Birds: June

It’s early June, and I saw a pair of sandhill cranes at Squaw Bay today. They are beautiful, and hard to see since they are perfectly camouflaged by the ochre reeds and small dead trees next to the marshy water. As soon as they saw me, they went and hid in a clump of trees,Continue reading “A Year of (Michigan) Birds: June”

Egret in the Marsh

I have spent a lot of time walking near, around and in the marshes of North Michigan. This is the habitat where black flies and mosquitoes like to live – but it is all worth it to catch sight of an egret like this one! This painting is based on one that hangs out inContinue reading “Egret in the Marsh”

How to paint an Egret in acrylics: Lesson 2

In 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,Continue reading “How to paint an Egret in acrylics: Lesson 2”

Process: How to Paint an Egret

One of my readers asked if I could share my process in creating a painting, so I decided to take photos and discuss how it is done, from start to finish. While the process starts with field studies, sitting out in marshes and swatting mosquitoes and black flies, I will focus on the painting aspectContinue reading “Process: How to Paint an Egret”