Fall Northern Cardinal Transparent Watercolor & Time-Lapse Video
Everyone seems to like cardinals. I think the only time I wasn’t happy to see one was when I was birding in Hawaii, where they are an invasive species. This was an unusual painting for me. Anyone looking at my portfolio … Continued
Immature Ring-billed Gull Pencil Sketch p74
I haven’t painted many gulls. Only two come to mind, Herring Gull and Ring-billed Gull. Ring-billed Gulls are almost dirt common. I’ve heard them called rats with wings. Despite some of their less appealing behaviors, I really like Ring-billed Gulls. I … Continued
Carolina Wrens: 7×10-inch Transparent Watercolor and Time-lapse Video
Carolina Wrens are fun little birds. They seem to be clever. My office and studio are in the basement of our house. It’s a nice space with one drawback: I have a only a small window well for natural light. I … Continued
Veery Pencil Sketch p73
Who could possibly pick a favorite type of thrush? I love them all. Veery are especially pretty and have a beautiful call to match. If Mozart were a bird, he’d have to be a thrush. Veery have a musical descending … Continued
Male Dimorphic Jumping Spider (Dark Phase) Transparent Watercolor & Time Lapse Video
“My name is Matt, and I like Jumping Spiders.” Typically when people see my photos, sketches or paintings of jumping spiders, I hear the same things: “Yuck!” “The only place I want to see that is on the bottom of my … Continued
Tree Swallow Pencil Sketch p72
Work really picked up for a while, so I fell behind with posting paintings and sketches. I have a back-log of sketches to scan and write up. This is a Tree Swallow from Ottawa NWR in northern Ohio. I can really … Continued
Female Black-throated Blue Warbler Transparent Watercolor & Time Lapse Video
Back to the drafting table! This is a small 7 x 10-inch transparent watercolor of a female Black-throated Blue Warbler. I’ve painted a male before; those bright colors were asking for it. The females, while drab in comparison, are still … Continued
Wilson’s Snipe Pencil Sketch p71
It’s been a while since I last posted. I guess that’s good and bad. It’s good because that means I’ve been busy with illustration and animation work. It’s bad because I’ve had less time to paint. In addition to work, the warm … Continued
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Hat (sheet craft foam, hot glue, acrylic paint)
A friend recently asked, “So, what did you do at work this week?” And I replied, “Uh, this is going to sound weird. I made a hat shaped like a hummingbird.” I’ve made a bunch of these hats for our kids … Continued
Raising Art from the Ashes… Trumpets
Having spent more than 22 years as a professional illustrator, I’ve worked on a considerable number of projects using a wide variety of styles. Stylistically I gravitate towards a particular look, rendering pieces with an abundance of detail, saturated colors and plenty of contrast. I’ve been called … Continued