This may be the year of the swallows. I went from never having painted a Barn Swallow to doing a several swallow paintings in the past year. They definitely are a worthy subject.
I based this painting on photos taken at the Marsh Boardwalk at Point Pelee National Park in Ontario. It was only about five yards from where I took the photo for the painting of the grumpy pair. This may even be one of the same individuals.
Barn Swallows are beautiful birds. I love their warm brown and cream colors and how those contrast with the glossy metallics of the head, wings and tail.
I was happy with my photo reference shots but wanted to paint a version where I could play with the composition a bit and flatten the perspective. What drew me to the photo was the blocks of color and how they broke up the page. I thought it would be fun to amp up the colors, breaking them into discrete horizontal and vertical segments almost like a flag. It was fun to play with the slight changes in proportions of the rusty plate and beams of wood to see how they divided up the frame.
Please contact me if you’re interested in buying the original watercolor or a print of this painting. Some of my work is also available for licensing.
Leave a Reply