This painting of a Black-and-white Warbler was based on photos I took at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in Ohio. I think the first one I remember seeing was at Shaker Lakes in the Cleveland area. In my mind I thought … Continued
I rendered a bunch of Indigo Buntings in a previous painting but had never done a painting with one as the main subject. Last spring I captured many serviceable, close photos of a cooperative male that came to our yard in the spring. Unfortunately, … Continued
Tan Jumping Spider (Platycryptus undatus) I love these curious little jumping spiders! I’ve painted many different types in the past, but this is new to the collection. The Tan Jumper is one of the more common species found in Michigan. Globally … Continued
This painting of an Eastern Towhee is a little unusual. Snow isn’t the first thing I normally associate with this species. For a number of years a male towhee would show up in our yard a few weeks before I’d see … Continued
Fox Sparrows are beautiful and entertaining birds. I tend to see them only in the spring and fall, but when I do get a peek at them, I always get excited. They are chunky birds with beautiful color and a fun habit of … Continued
Yes, another Jumping Spider! I can’t get enough of these endearing arthropods. I’m looking forward to seeing them again this spring. Occasionally I’ll come across one in the house in the winter and wonder what the little guy is finding … Continued
This bird is a great example of why they use scientific names with a genus and species. It has at least three common names: Violet-backed Starling, Plum-colored Starling and Amethyst Starling. Granted, they are pretty spectacular, so maybe one name … Continued
Red squirrels are just about as cute as it gets for common rodents. Ok, flying squirrels are cuter, but they don’t qualify as common here in central Michigan. When choosing what to draw and paint, I usually follow whatever has my … Continued
Because of Christmas, New Year’s, two family birthdays and a road trip all within a month’s time, I’m way behind on posting artwork. A Winter Dunlin is the subject of this recent watercolor painting, and it presented a good set of challenges. Here in … Continued
I haven’t done a straight “bird portrait” in a while. Instead, I’ve been painting entire birds—each with a portion of its environment serving as part of the subject. I used to paint portraits regularly, but I think they work best on … Continued