This Thick-headed Fly seemed like the perfect subject matter. It was a bit unusual for me because I pulled out the gouache paints for a few things late in the painting. Typically I do everything in transparent watercolor.
This painting is being posted out of sequence. That’s the hazard of being behind. After a series of highly designed paintings and several medial animations for clients, I was desperate to get something on the drafting table quickly so I could start painting again. I … Continued
Last year on our annual pilgrimage to Crane Creek, Ohio, one of the big treats was seeing a Great Horned Owlet in its nest cavity and getting photos and video of the little “Furby.” This painting is based on those … Continued
I’m not much for imaginative names for paintings. I tend to go for the obvious. Most often I only have one species in a painting, which helps simplify things. This painting ended up having two species, which would’ve made the … Continued
Song Sparrows sure seem to be friendly little birds. Their cheery “Madge-Madge-Madge, put-on-your-tea-kettle-ettle-ettle” call is always a welcome sound. We get them in our yard frequently, but in really low numbers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than one at a time. We’ve … Continued
I’m still behind on posting and have been uploading things out of order chronologically. For example, I finished this watercolor before Christmas. (!) I was looking through photos from last year’s trip to Florida and decided to do a watercolor … Continued
Orange-crowned Warblers are often described as drab. While they aren’t as flashy as a Hooded or Kentucky Warbler, they really are quite beautiful. It took me a long time to confidently identify them because they have so many subtle features. The past … Continued
There is no way around it: this painting took an incredibly LONG time! This 18×24-inch transparent watercolor features 25 birds found in Everglades National Park. I hatched the idea for this after our family trip to the Everglades last winter. As is typical … Continued
I haven’t done a purely botanical painting in ages. I think the last one I did was of Fringed Polygala back in 1999! I’m always painting plants as backgrounds for insects and birds, so they aren’t foreign; they just haven’t been … Continued
This flamingo painting is based on photos I took at the fantastic Toledo Zoo. I’ve been going there for more than 20 years. My second trip there was probably the most memorable. I was living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the time … Continued