backgrounds for each mini bird painting

I’ve been working on a small series of bird paintings lately. In between snow days, errands and having to take myself to the doctor and my husband to the doctor – he has shingles! We thought it was mainly an elderly person’s problem but turns out nope. He is 47 and he’s got ’em. No good, and very painful for him. Painful for me too, as the care giver – you know how men are as patients. Ugh.

Anyway, on to the new bird paintings.

I’ve got six 4″x4″ canvases that are an inch and a half deep. They each have a little bird on them squawking at each other or otherwise just watching the show.

Hey Lady, can you spare some suet?

I’ve been inspired to paint these little guys because I spend a lot of time watching and feeding them in my yard. That and keeping that damn squirrel out of the feeder! I snapped this shot while in my warm and cozy house, you can see the screen.

So after I got my background on that I was happy with (this started out very different), I sketched the birds on the mini canvases in a way that showed they were all relating to one another.

Next I had to paint them in with gesso to block out the background.

Then, I’ve just started one by one and making little characters for them. Some are going to be loud mouths like this little wren below.

Screamer!

While others will be passively watching what is going to happen next.

Just hanging around

I painted a baby tufted titmouse (below) screeching with the best of them.

I’m just a baby!

I think when they are all finished they will look so cute hanging all together. They don’t have to be sold together, but what a nice collection that would make, don’t you think?

I have three more to paint to finish this small series. One is a bunting, one a golden finch and lastly another type of bunting. I meant to paint a chickadee but forgot! I started sketching in another bunting and had already gesso’ed him in when I realized I had made two buntings and left out the chickadee. Oh well, maybe on the next set. I probably will end up making up little birds, too.

Bird paintings have seemed to show up a lot in my work, I guess I love them even more than I thought. I do have to say though, I’m ready to paint another raven or move on to tropical plants again. I’m dreaming of warmer days.

I’ll leave you today with my observations.

“This Artists Observations of the Day”

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