Connecticut Warblers are exciting birds. I think of them as “15-20 year birds” because I see them so infrequently. I’ve only gotten to see them twice. My first was after about 15 years of birding! The second was almost 15 … Continued
Evening Grosbeaks eluded me for a long time. My first sighting was with my wife at Whitefish Point in Michigan. We also had Boreal Chickadees for the first time. That was an exciting day! Evening Grosbeaks are beautiful but somewhat … Continued
My wife’s favorite warbler is probably the Blackburnian, followed closely by the Prothonotary. I did a watercolor of one ages ago on Black Cherry blossoms that she always brings up as a favorite. Until now, I hadn’t painted one in … 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
I used to do a lot of larger watercolors, usually in the 18 x 24-inch format but once working 18 x 72 inches! Later I switched to smaller pieces, when we had kids. My theory was that it would allow me … Continued
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
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
“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
I finally got around to painting a King Vulture. (!) I’ve been fascinated by these birds for a long time, and this one presented a great challenge for watercolor. Its textures are tremendously varied: glassy eyes, shiny beaks, fluffy feathers, bristly hair-like feathers, wrinkly … Continued