I 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 areContinue reading “Male Cardinal: acrylic bird painting”
Tag Archives: nature
American Goldfinch: acrylic painting
I 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
Bobwhite: acrylic painting
Growing 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 paletteContinue reading “Bobwhite: acrylic painting”
Busy Few Weeks: Galleries and Birds
The past few weeks, I have been busy in the field, taking notes and photos, and also visiting galleries in North Michigan. I just signed a contract to be represented by Blue Heron Gallery in Elk Rapids; and was also juried in by the Gaylord Area Council for the Arts (GACA) gallery in Gaylord, Michigan.Continue reading “Busy Few Weeks: Galleries and Birds”
The Importance of Field Notes
I 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. ButContinue reading “The Importance of Field Notes”
Fawn in the Grass
Last week I was at my friend’s house in a remote area, and a baby fawn came and lay down in a grassy section near some trees. I snuck up on the little fellow, and took a picture; this week, I painted him in acrylics. This took time to do, but I was able toContinue reading “Fawn in the Grass”
Pumpkin Patch: acrylic painting
I have a friend who loves pumpkins, collects all types of pumpkin figurines, plushies, etc. She commissioned me to create a pumpkin patch for her, and this is the result. If you look closely, you will see a tiny ladybug that I put on one of the leaves in front!
In the Canopy: semi-abstract
I have been experimenting with going a bit looser and more abstract in some of my paintings. The other day, I saw the sun filtering through the trees in the woods, and decided to try to paint how the light affected me. This is one of my first attempts at abstracting somewhat what I see.Continue reading “In the Canopy: semi-abstract”
Summer Fun☀️
Here’s a link from another very talented lady (who is also a Michigander; the state is just full of talent). She does amazing photographs, I think you’ll agree. She’s also a bird watcher… Summer Fun☀️.
Birds of Michigan Series: Winter Partners
I 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, andContinue reading “Birds of Michigan Series: Winter Partners”
Learning to Use a Palette Knife: Mountain Waterfall
I am finally learning to use a palette knife for the first time. I like it, but realize it will take time to master using one. I particularly like the effects on rocks. So, I chose a rocky scene (one a friend shot in Colorado) for this landscape. Water is my favorite thing to paint,Continue reading “Learning to Use a Palette Knife: Mountain Waterfall”
Experimenting with Spatter painting: Lake Michigan Shoreline
Okay, since I’m mainly self-taught (well, I did minor in art in college, but they didn’t teach much painting technique, mostly drawing and design) I like to check out art books from the library, learn about techniques and…experiment. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they are disasters. I went to Lake Michigan a couple of weeksContinue reading “Experimenting with Spatter painting: Lake Michigan Shoreline”