My dog insists on his morning walk no matter the weather, or if I am not feeling well. He doesn't care! I have to admit once he drags me out there I really enjoy it and appreciate the still quiet of the mornings. This particular cityscape is a scene I would see on my drive to work in the mornings. Fortunately we have green spaces near by, and historic homes and gardens on our route.
I was influenced to paint this while reading the book, "RavenMaster" by Chris Skaiffe. I thought it was going to be mostly about the ravens at the London Tower, but unfortunately it was mostly about his life and very little about the ravens. I'm not quite finished with it but find myself skipping large sections of it. It's not that it's a bad book, but just not my interest. I wanted to know about the ravens. None the less it prompted me to think of them again and paint this character.
These two look like they are up to no good. Are they sharing the latest
details about their hooman care givers? Are they plotting to fly to the
top of the curtain rod so they can shout orders to the family dog? Only
they know, but you can bet they will make you laugh with their bold
antics.
This was a coconut palm we grew indoors. I worked as an interior landscaper for many years in this amazing garden. The office space was like nothing you could imagine. Eventually the tree got so big it had to be cut down. It was a sad day for me.
My bird can count, can you fly? An old joke, but so true that we can not
underestimate the talents of such small creatures. Budgies are not
"disposable pets" as I once heard them called! They are amazing,
intelligent beings worthy of great care and respect. I once had the privilege of caring for a prolific talker named ironically "Whistler."
The eerie sound of wolves howling in the distance evokes ancient feelings long forgotten in the city dweller. Perhaps it is why we are drawn to such images. A relic of our past lives, when living closer to nature meant relying on these sounds to understand our surroundings. The call of the wolf is a primitive musical passage lost in the clack and din of the modern world.
This wolf reminds me of my dog. He likes to stand on top of the chair back and look out the window surveying his domain for danger. This alpha wolf is doing the same thing from his rock perch. Where as my dog wants to protect his pack from the mailman, this wolf is looking for intruders to his territory that might cause harm to his family
These two have different ideas about where to build the nest. There is
still time to decide, and if you are lucky they will end up somewhere in
your backyard where you can enjoy their twittering songs.
Sometimes just looking out the window at the right time of day provides
inspiration for a painting. I love to photograph birds, and morning
light is a good time to capture interesting colors. This sparrow while
not the most exotic avian species still makes a good subject, especially
for the urban nature lover. These cute little birds can be fun to
watch, and the warm light in this painting adds to the drama of a
typical day, making it a morning to appreciate nature in all it's forms.
This baby sparrow caught my eye as he perched on the telephone line as
the sun was setting. Many people believe they have found orphan birds
because when just out of the nest, they may appear tame and unable to
fly. They are just learning, and the parents are always near keeping an
eye on things. It's best to watch a baby bird before assuming it needs
your rescue.
This cheeky budgie demands to be the center of attention. So much personality in a little bird, even if they don't talk budgies make wonderful, lively companions. Some are more easily tamed than others as their temperament varies within individuals. My intention with this painting was to accent the complimentary colors of yellow and violet, as well tell the story of this bossy little bird.
Bright blue brilliant flash of intelligence, so clever is the Blue Jay.
They are known to clear a backyard bird feeder by mimicking the call of a
hawk. Not mean, smart, and just trying to survive like the rest of us. I
wish I had them as a regular visitor, but they seem to have many
options in my neighborhood.
