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JTMB's Bird Art (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter JTMB
- Start date
JTMB
Well-known member
Thanks for looking, and yes...we are lucky in the western hemisphere to have our little packages of avian energy to see. There are only a small handful of species we get to see in my state, though. In the US, the southwest near the Mexican border is the hotspot. However, we are lucky in our area to have a year-round resident species (Anna's Hummingbird) which manages to survive the winters because of its ability to use controlled torpor, the increasing planting of winter-blooming plants for decorative purposes, and a lot of hummer lovers like my wife and I who keep feeders out in the winter. Anna's is the only truly non-migratory hummer, which has quite expanded its range over the last few decades and now is found as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada.
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
That Rufous Hummingbird and Tree Swallow make a nice pair. It seems that western hummingbirds keep turning up in the east in the winter. I'm not sure I'd recognize a rufous if I saw it but it's one of the birds that has become a regular PA visitor. Just a few years ago it seems like the only possible one was the Ruby-throated.
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
can only but agree. great work.
buzzard12
Well-known member
Still it comes, wonderful birding diaries. The Tree Swallows are fab!
JTMB
Well-known member
Thanks much Paschalis, Ken, tbbilbo, Arthur, Gaby and Alan!
Seeing all the great serious paintings here makes me anxious to do something beyond these sketches, but I am having fun with them and still have over 200 to go to sketch all my 2012 bird sightings. These four bring me up to #79 out of 286.
Seeing all the great serious paintings here makes me anxious to do something beyond these sketches, but I am having fun with them and still have over 200 to go to sketch all my 2012 bird sightings. These four bring me up to #79 out of 286.
JTMB
Well-known member
Finally got around to doing some more sketches in my attempt to sketch each species I saw during 2012. These are #80 to 85, leaving 201 more to go...hmmm, will I actually get this done in 2013?
I always feel inadequate posting these quick sketches because of the just outstanding work here on the forum, and this group in particular was a bit hurriedly done as I've been spending most of my time on oil (and some watercolor) landscapes. But I'm enjoying these and I think there is some learning resulting from them even if the end result isn't great. The sketchbook I'm working in right now is part of the issue, in that it has plate finish paper that works really nicely for dry media, but really isn't designed to take watercolor or gouache well. When I finish this book (which will take me to #118) then I'll be switching to a sketchbook with paper designed for wet media.
Here are the current bird sketches, and I've also included two of my recent landscapes. The first landscape is 11x14 inch in oil, and is a scene from the Teton Valley in Idaho. The second is a 14x11 inch oil and is a scene that is about three miles from my house.
I always feel inadequate posting these quick sketches because of the just outstanding work here on the forum, and this group in particular was a bit hurriedly done as I've been spending most of my time on oil (and some watercolor) landscapes. But I'm enjoying these and I think there is some learning resulting from them even if the end result isn't great. The sketchbook I'm working in right now is part of the issue, in that it has plate finish paper that works really nicely for dry media, but really isn't designed to take watercolor or gouache well. When I finish this book (which will take me to #118) then I'll be switching to a sketchbook with paper designed for wet media.
Here are the current bird sketches, and I've also included two of my recent landscapes. The first landscape is 11x14 inch in oil, and is a scene from the Teton Valley in Idaho. The second is a 14x11 inch oil and is a scene that is about three miles from my house.
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
I like them all John. Just looking through some of my photos here and Savannahs were some of the last I looked at - a beautiful bird. Also waiting, waiting, waiting for the first Hermit Thrush of 2013!!
You do seem to feel at home with landscapes. But it's nice to see your development with birds as well. I'm sure all this work will pay off in the end and birds will start to feel as natural as landscapes to you.
You do seem to feel at home with landscapes. But it's nice to see your development with birds as well. I'm sure all this work will pay off in the end and birds will start to feel as natural as landscapes to you.
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Tenton Valley dose it for me.a relaxing pic.
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Always nice to see more of these John. I'm still waiting to get a good look at that 'bland' warbler you've painted! Only the briefest glimpses so far.
It's also interesting to note what seems to be more detail in the last two pictured. Any day now, well maybe still a week or two away, I hope to hear our first Common Yellowthroat of the year.
It's also interesting to note what seems to be more detail in the last two pictured. Any day now, well maybe still a week or two away, I hope to hear our first Common Yellowthroat of the year.
