You know it must be getting dark on a Spring night when you hear this
bird calling in your yard. Coming around at dusk for one last tour of
the shrubs before he settles down to sleep. Why might this be? One
theory is that their bright color is less conspicuous in the dimming
light so they are less likely to attract unwanted attention from
predators.
I'm not wearing a hat! Those feathers sticking up on my head is how us Blue Jays smile. I found a people giving out real peanuts. The fresh kind that come from the people store, not the pet shop. The best kind! And I don't steal them, I procure them for my family and I. I'm not mean either, you have it all wrong.
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Snow fun or (It')s no fun? I think this Blue Jay thinks it's fun to try to catch a falling snow flake. Silly bird.
The cup is wondering where the week went. The blue berries are just hanging out, and the orange is just glad you didn't say banana.
Dusty is just a baby and is having a hard time keeping up with the herd. He calls out to his mama to slow down but she can't hear him over the thundering sounds of the other elephants. Don't worry he will catch the hang of being one of the group. Sometimes nature must allow a struggle in order to reap a benefit.
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It's hard to get sassy vegetables to hold still for paintings. Sometimes
you have to bribe them by promising not to eat them when you are done,
and flattering them by telling them they are stars of the produce world.
Technically tomatoes are considered fruit, but we all still think of
them as vegetables for some reason. I know I do. I have been working on
some larger paintings of wolves lately, but decided to take a break and
come back to adding some smaller works here.
Teddy considers himself a rugged outdoors bear, as he reads his books about the Northwoods bundled in his hat and scarf, in front of a sunny window. He doesn’t like to get too dirty or cold. He doesn’t like bugs landing on him. He doesn’t eat too many berries because they could give him diarrhea. He doesn’t like to walk on wet rocks because he could slip and fall. He doesn’t like loud thunder or noisy crickets. He’s not a real bear, but he thinks he is. He’d like to go to a home where there is not a lot of yelling, lots of pets, and where he can watch his shows when they are on.
This bear is ambling toward it's night time resting space. The sun is setting and it is thinking of eating enough to make it through the coming winter. Hopefully not the likes of Timothy Treadwell the poor foolish man who was eaten by a bear he loved so much. Be careful, wildlife should be loved and admired from a distance.
This little lamb is always the first in the barn when the feed bag is
put out. She seems to have an uncanny sense of time and beats all the
others to the food line. Is she smart, or just hungry?
I call this bird "Bob" after Canadian artist Robert Bateman. I have been watching his youtube videos and he speaks about how the animals we see in nature are often hidden from our view. He likes to include obstructions like branches, and imperfect leaves in his paintings. I was inspired to try that myself. I found this Blue Jay a few weeks ago sitting in the branches of a crab apple tree. The leaves show the scarring of apple scab so common in this species. The Jay looks over his shoulder and for a moment you catch his eye.
My own puppy was a model for this painting. I've had a sheltie in my life since 1982. I find them to be extremely intelligent dogs, and once they learn your schedule they will keep you to it whether you like it or not!
I like to paint from life as often as I can. It helps to sharpen my skills. This painting started to take a turn for the worse at some point. I am always kind of glad when that happens because it forces me to loosen up and take chances. Many of my paintings start out as something else! When they fail, I paint over them. This also has the advantage of adding texture and interest.
To make a painting I am happy with always involves taking chances. Sometimes that leads to a disaster and I end up painting over the whole thing when my idea falls apart. I am always glad though when things begin to go wrong. It means I will stop being so careful with the marks I make, and that is when magic can happen. That is when an animal or bird can come alive and shake off a stiff, stifled look. I could have painted this raven's every feather, but it was so much more fun to let him evolve without overthinking the process.