Tag Archives: wildlife

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”

The Chickadee Tree: Online Art Lesson

I love watching chickadees; in fact, they will land on my pan when I carry seeds out in the early dawn. They will congregate in a nearby pine, waiting for me to put their food out. So, they are a natural subject for a painting. In this blog, I will show how to paint theseContinue reading “The Chickadee Tree: Online Art Lesson”

“Little Rascal” acrylic painting of a Raccoon

A few weeks ago, a visitor showed up near the bird feeder. I got some nice photos of him, and decided to paint him in acrylic. I went with a very limited palette so it is similar to a value study: ultramarine blue, burnt umber, titanium white, burnt sienna. The details took time, but itContinue reading ““Little Rascal” acrylic painting of a Raccoon”

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.

Chickadee on a branch: acrylic painting

This has been a busy fall, and I haven’t had much time to paint – or post paintings. This is a painting that I did find time to do this month – a chickadee sitting on a snow-covered branch. My goal was to capture the form of the chickadee and the light hitting him. IContinue reading “Chickadee on a branch: acrylic painting”

A Year of Birds: September

The sandpipers are now in their fall plumage, with the spots starting to disappear on their breasts. I feel a bit sad seeing those, realizing that soon they will migrate. The Canadian Geese are gathering into larger groups, and can be seen “practicing” flying together, honking away, then landing, in preparation for their fall migration.Continue reading “A Year of Birds: September”

A Year of (Michigan) Birds: July

The 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 theContinue reading “A Year of (Michigan) Birds: July”

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”

Yellow-Rumped Warbler: Acrylic Painting

About five weeks ago, I was hiking near Presque-Isle Michigan, and saw this beautiful little bird on a fence. When painting this, I decided to play with abstracting the background a bit. I also went with a fall theme, since fall is here, with warmer colors in the background to contrast with the cooler traysContinue reading “Yellow-Rumped Warbler: Acrylic Painting”