Another Ruby Throated Hummingbird

This is an oil painting I did for my Grandmother, Joan Jenkins.  She has pasted away now about eight years or so.  She taught me and got me interesting in wildlife, wild flowers, and birds back 45 years ago on trips into the Colorado Rockies. So I did this Ruby Throated Hummingbird (male) checking out a Trumpeter Vine flower.  I had never noticed the vines till we lived in Utah and then found them in Maryland.  We always have the Hummingbirds loitering around the house between the vines and the feeders.

American Robin

More Project Bird stuff.  This is a colored pencil of an American Robin.  A common favorite bird from all around the country.  I like to watch them and look for the hidden white spots on their bodies.  Next time you see one look to see if you can spot these markings when they spread wings, bob their tail and around their eyes.

Merlin

Long day, Long week.  Back to Project Bird.  This is a Merlin, we say these a couple times in Utah.  This colored pencil drawing is of a rehab Merlin getting well before returning to the wild.

Prairie Twilight - Part 2

SO another night of working the clouds and I darkened the foreground.  You cannot tell from the photo, but I used the opposite non-brush end of the brush to scratch grass in to the thick paint.  I am going to let the painting dry and will work some dry brushing into the clouds and put a thin lighter wash into the grass of the foreground.  When I am happy with both, I am going to add the Pronghorn silhouettes to the skyline.  Sometimes it is better to let a painting rest.  A little time and space helps the artist spot the problems or issues.  Sometimes time results in a restart on a clean canvas to try a different tact.  Occasionally, a painting just comes together without any effort.  Occasionally.   I'll take better photos in daylight and show some of what I have mentioned. 

Prairie Twilight

Tonight I worked on getting the clouds depth worked in.  Working the edges in the transitions between the clouds. Tomorrow, I want to re-work the foreground to develop its depth and work the clouds more.  

New Painting

Something different tonight, I am going to work a painting through and post the results.  This is an oil painting, which will be a twilight sky with Pronghorn Antelope silhouetted on the horizon.  This is the basic thin colors to block in the canvas and remove the white.  More tomorrow.

Zuni Kachina

Today was an interesting day of work, come home early to a frozen water pipe and the need to replace insulation.  I finished up with a headache, so no artwork tonight.  I got the headache to go away eventually with pain killer and meditation techniques.  I feel a little anxiety if I don't do some art everyday.  Above is a colored pencil sketch of a Zuni Shalako Kachina.  The Shalako is a winter solstice ceremony and it makes the harvest too.  Outsiders don't get to attend these ceremonies, probably because people were behaving badly.  Our loss, I like these sketches for their design and simplicity.  I do them because I want to, so enjoy.