October 2022 The weather is swinging between very cold at night and warmer during the day as October starts. Today, I saw a blue heron that is still here in spite of the cooling days. This heron is one of those staying around When I went out to dinner in Presque Isle, I didContinue reading “A Year of Birds”
Tag Archives: watching
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: March
It is March, and the weather is finally starting to warm up a bit – it even goes into the mid-40’s on a sunny day! The snow is starting to melt, and the landscape is slowly turning from white to brown. Locals are used to the “spring slush” in which back roads turn into muddy,Continue reading “A Year of Birds: March”
A Year of Birds: January
While 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 severalContinue reading “A Year of Birds: January”
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
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”