For National Bird Day

Friends on Twitter pointed out that it’s #NationalBirdDay – in honor of aves everywhere, here’s a Golden Crowned Kinglet. This is painted from a Wikipedia ref, though I promise you I saw several of these clearing the trees of bugs this very afternoon.

 

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A Study in Shadows

The sun found an old pallet this morning, and so did I. Fortunately it was just the right time for an irresistible display of shadows and lines!

The wood is rendered entirely in Raw Umber and Cobalt Blue mixed on the paper. Placing washes of pure color and letting them flow together naturally allows for soft grays to form, with a few saturated areas to keep it lively. The sawhorse leg behind is Daniel Smith’s Graphite, and a touch of Green Apatite forms the grass.

If you’re curious, here’s the rest of the pallet in context. Wish I’d had time to paint the entire scene!