Snowy Bluebird, watercolor, SOLD This winter I was lucky enough to have a group of bluebirds visit my feeders. I've had the occasional bluebird stop by in past winters, but this year, I had as many as eight at a time here. I bought a little bluebird dish feeder and lots of mealworms and set about keeping them around. I kept my camera by the back door, and I would quietly sneak out onto the porch for a photo shoot. I got quite a few photos, but always want more! I think this little watercolor of a snowy bluebird is my favorite.
| My first bluebird painting was a very detailed, very realistic pastel pencil piece. I had taken only a few photos at this time, and chose this pose for my painting. I liked the way he was perched and fluffed up against the winter cold. The warm background, branches and orange feathers made a great foil for his bright blue plumage. |  Chilly Bluebird, Pastel, 8x10 |
 Winter Branches, watercolor study | Every bird needs a place to perch so I spent time practicing branches. I loved playing with the textures and colors. Practicing branches is a big help in my work because even though I'm using reference photos I will freely change the shape, size and color of the branches to make a better composition. I can add twigs, berries or snow to pull the painting together. I like to take the colors I've used in the bird and mix and mingle them on the branches for unity. These practice branches were done using the blues and oranges of the birds I was painting. |
As the winter continued, I got more photos to work from. It was a little too cold to sit outside and work from life so I was happy to get photos through the window even if they weren't great. I just needed enough information to get me started on a piece. I did a couple of journal pages about the birds in watercolor and ink, and I realized that watercolor studies and paintings would be a great way to capture the colors and poses I was seeing in a spontaneous way. I did a series of loosely painted watercolor bluebirds using spatters and splashes and pen work. So much fun!
As the weather got warmer and the snow melted, the bluebirds moved on, although I still see one on occasion. I've put up a bluebird house, but I think I've missed them nesting this year. If the bluebirds don't use the house, I hope another kind of bird moves in. I'd love to have a family of chickadees in the yard. I think a series of watercolor chickadees would be a fun project. In fact, I've already started!
Chickadee Dee Dee, watercolor 7x7
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