Western Tanager

So continuing on the Bird topic, the Western Tanager is as bright as the American Goldfinches and as brilliant as the Cardinal.  I have only seen them in the canyons above Salt Lake City, Utah.  They are in other places and I always look when I am out west, but for some reason only in the canyons have they come out to serenade me.

Yellow Warbler

This little cutie was spotted on the banks of the Provo river in Utah.  It was flitting around eating bugs above the water surface.  Stealing them from the Cutthroat Trout in the river.  This is the one and only time I have ever seen this bird.  He was a spring time guest.

Cardinals

These are colored pencil sketches of a male and female Cardinal.  They are the state bird of six states - Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina.  These are the favorite birds of my wife and my grandmother.  We never saw them until we moved to North Carolina.

Turkey - Georgia Turkey

I never saw Turkeys until I went to Georgia in 1988 to Fort Benning, Georgia.  I came a round a corner of some bushes and a large pine tree, and there was 15 Turkeys.  I was calm and walked slowly about ten feet behind them.  We walked together.  They were aware of me but not too concerned since I was moving slowly.   We walked together for about 20 yards and then they veered right and I continued straight on.  It was the closest I had ever been before or since.  It surprised me then and now, since Turkeys are smart and skittish.  So I will always cherish my walk with Turkeys.

Brown Thrasher

The state bird of Georgia, plus Yesterday's bird the Northern Bobwhite is the other.  I guess their state legislature wanted to share the wealth on state birds.    It is the only state I know of with two birds.   I actually saw this bird in Virginia.  I saw more Turkeys in Georgia than any where else.  So the Turkey will be tomorrow's bird.

Northern Bobwhite

This is a colored pencil sketch of the Northern Bobwhite.  They are little ground dwelling birds.  They are mostly known as a game bird of the south.  Though all the time I lived in North Carolina and Georgia, I never saw one.  It was not until I moved to Maryland did I see one.

Brown Pelican

This is a Brown Pelican colored pencil sketch.  I saw these in New Orleans and out in California.  In this instance, the body looked more black to me than the brown so that is how I captured it.  Part of being an artist is to set aside your preconceptions and actually see colors and shapes instead of assuming the brown bird would show up as brown.  You have to train yourself to see the shapes between the wings and legs i.e the negative spaces.  I use these sketches to practice and to work out these relationships.  Plus it works as a meditation for me.