Chickadee in Winter, 8x10in, watercolor on paper
These tiny darlings are regular visitors at our feeder this time of year. Did you know that these incredible birds have a hippocampus that grows in size each Fall/Winter to help them remember where they’ve stashed all their food? Talk about amazing…and as one researcher pointed out, perhaps we should be re-thinking our definition of “bird brain”!
Sandhill Crane, 30x22in, watercolor on paper
This painting is near life size for a crane, the paper measuring 30x22 inches. I may or may not have spoken with him as I painted him. :-) Cranes mate for life and can fly up to 200 miles per day in migration. They have incredible dancing skills.
Sparrow, 7x9in, colored pencil on paper
Really enjoyed spending time with this little love. These birds may be less brightly colored than others but oh can they sing!
This is another species greatly affected by climate change including and not limited to water and air quality, reduced habitat, pesticides, even laundry fragrance piped out into the air from our homes. Here is a good place for ways to help them: https://www.3billionbirds.org
#bringbirdsback
Oystercatcher, 7x9in, watercolor and colored pencil on paper, 2019
There were a handful of these characters roaming around the boulders at low tide a couple weeks ago here in Bellingham, a rare sight on our beaches since they’re usually found along the outer coastlines (for those who don’t know this area we have islands between us and the open Pacific Ocean). Their beaks positively glow like lightsabers against the muted colors of a cloudy day!
Much thanks to Rowena Kleen on Pixabay for the wonderful reference photo.
This painting is available, for more information please click here
#BringBirdsBack
Black-winged Stilt, 10x11in, colored pencil on paper, 2019
Black-winged Stilts are a migrating bird found along shorelines and wetlands. Their long legs allow them to wade much deeper in water than other birds as they forage for food.
I allowed extra negative space around my little friend here in contemplation of reduced population.
#bringbirdsback
Tree Swallow, 5x7in, watercolor on clay board, 2019
Hello and welcome! On September 19, 2019 a study was published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology sharing shocking news of a loss of nearly 3 billion birds in North America since 1970. You can read an excellent summary here on www.Audubon.org
I’ve always loved birds and frequently painted them over the years, usually small and somewhat impulsive paintings. Painting these little birds always seemed like a treat, a deviation - after all, I was a landscape/seascape painter. Well, here we are. :-) Not only are birds the “canaries in the coal mine”, a major indicator of our planet’s health (which, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, directly affects our human health and future), but they are beauty and freedom and song and though we may not notice them in our daily lives unless we look up or stop and listen, we will notice the silence when they are gone. I dedicate this blog to these precious creatures that need all the spotlight they can get.
What can we do? Here is a great place to start: 7 Simple Actions
#bringbirdsback