Oblong Wool Carder Bee (7×10-inch Transparent Watercolor on Arches 140lb HP Paper) Oblong Wool Carder Bee (Detail from 7×10-inch Transparent Watercolor on Arches 140lb HP Paper) I pretty much paint for my own amusement, not really thinking much about potentially … Continued
Sadly, Least Bitterns are birds that I just don’t see very often. They are somewhat uncommon, quite small, shy, and maybe even a bit sneaky, preferring to hide among the dense reeds and grasses on the shoreline. They make … Continued
I love hearing these charming birds in the summer, and remembering their call is easy because my daughter taught me a clever little mnemonic she learned from Larkwire: “Sit, sit, sit… it’s breeeee-zy.” That works for me! I got the … Continued
With hundreds of options available, what are the watercolor paints you actually need? This video goes through the 15 colors I find to be essential. It also highlights a few other handy pigments that save time mixing—plus three colors you … Continued
Despite them being relatively common in migration, it took me a while to get around to painting a Tennessee Warbler. These birds breed in Canada and pass through our yard here in Michigan for just a few weeks in the … Continued
I’ve had some forced time off the bikes this past month. Usually I spend about nine hours a week on my mountain bikes. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, and having a bit of extra time, I started doing … Continued
When I was in grad school, I saw my first Black-crowned Night Heron during a trip to Everglades National Park. Until then, I didn’t realize I had been missing out on a spectacularly beautiful bird. You just didn’t run into … Continued
Two shorebirds in a row! That seldom happens for me. I guess it’s less unusual after getting a ton of photos from a trip to Florida this winter. The photos I used for this painting of a winter-plumed Long-billed Dowitcher … Continued
Wilson’s Snipe is an interesting shorebird. In general, birds with mottled feathering like this pose a different sort of challenge to paint. Figuring out the logic to their patterns can lead to some confusion at first, but painting them offers … Continued
Black-throated Green Warblers are great little birds. Here in Lansing we see them for a few weeks in the spring and fall as they migrate through. The southern edge of their breeding range starts not far from here but excludes … Continued