Little Woodpecker

 I usually paint larger birds, but I couldn't pass up this little guy.  My friend Dave took the photograph of this Downy Woodpecker.  The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America.  Sweet little guy!

This painting is available in my Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180958694

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

Farewell to Dorothy

It's eerie how things happen sometimes.  This was one of those times. 
I met Dorothy over 30 years ago.  Wonderful lady, my friend's mother.  Dorothy was fun, interesting and my friend.  She gave me a beautiful, delicate teacup.  That teacup was displayed in my home for the next 30+ years.  A few months ago I received the call that the teacup had been broken while I wasn't home.  "It's ok" I told the apologetic caller.  I had enjoyed the teacup for many years, I knew I had been fortunate.  When I got home I stacked the pieces, I just couldn't throw them away.  I hadn't seen Dorothy in several years, I knew she hadn't been well.  But she was still my friend, and the teacup still dear to me.  Well, here is the eerie part.  A bit of time passed and I ran into an older lady friend and she said "you know we lost Dorothy".   No, I didn't know.  Her passing very closely coincided with the breaking of the teacup.  Now, I am not one to look for meaning in every event, but this was funny to me.  A little eerie.  I felt like it had been my goodbye from Dorothy.  Recently when I was cleaning house I once again dusted the broken teacup, and thought I should throw it away.  I decided to paint the pieces.  This is my farewell to Dorothy.  Maybe now I will let the broken pieces go, maybe.

 

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

Strength in the face of a storm

 According to legend, the ibis is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane hits and the first to reappear once the storm has passed.  A bird that has the guts to hang in there when the going gets rough.  My friend Dave, the photographer, is strong like that too.  He is watching the storm of his life roll in, and is taking advantage of every minute before it hits.  He is working and playing and singing and smiling and loving and going and doing.   Here's hoping the coming hurricane never makes land! 

 

This painting is available in my Etsy shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180690371

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

 

What...the flock?

No, we have not had a flock of blue herons fly in, and I am not giving up my seagulls.  I know I painted a blue heron just yesterday but I wanted to revisit him while it was fresh!  I like to paint the birds to my liking of course, usually making them more colorful, lighter or whatever it takes to make them sweet, happy or interesting to me.  Yesterday's blue heron was pretty to me.  That is important.   I think this guy is attractive as well, but I did give him a more realistic look.  I love the blue heron's eyes, so intense.   Hope you like him!

Blue Heron Day

It was a blue heron day.  Not the blue heron on the dock day, but photos of that bird becoming a painting day.  And that is not bad.  It's been a long winter, and I am looking forward to sitting on the patio days watching the lake birds.  This heron is brighter than the guy in the photo, but he looks summery, and that is what I needed today!  I hope you enjoy him.

this painting is available in my Etsy shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/179997741

 

 Betty 

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

Composed

Composed definition, calm; tranquil; serene.  Such nice words.  Calm, tranquil, serene.  Who doesn't want that.  I don't fully understand it, but painting seagulls helps me stay composed.  True with most of my watercolor painting, but the seagulls always do it.  The quiet colors, the bird's demeanor, and the memories of peaceful time at the beach always equates to calm, tranquil and serene for me.  I can nearly hear the ocean rolling in, rolling out.  That calming constant that always seems to bring life into perspective.  With all of that said, I have to admit I used "Compose blue" for the background color in this piece and that is how he got his name.  But it did get me to thinking about what painting does for me, and that is good!

Painting is available in my Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/179420246

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

Sunny

The sunshine is sure welcome here in Southern Illinois today.  The cold and snow and gray has been making it difficult for me to continue to pretend that I live on the gulf coast of Florida!  But I'm back there today with the sunshine!  Once again I went to the photos that I took at the sailboat marina near my home here in Southern Illinois and once again, I found the perfect model.  He stands alone without frills or props, rather handsome I would say.  He just didn't need anything.  I hope you enjoy him!

This painting is available in my Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/179178328/

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

Movin' on

These long legs are movin' on, this guy looks like he has places to go.  I love painting the birds that I see on the lake that I live on here in Southern Illinois.  The lake is frozen right now, so I guess I am "movin' on" in my mind, looking toward warm weather again.  Blue skies and big birds, it's going to be a good one!  I included a picture of this guy in a 16 x 20 mat propped in my studio to give you a better idea of his size.

This painting is available in my Etsy shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178735437/original-bird-painting-bird-art-egret

 

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

Longhorns and local wine

An afternoon trip to a local winery recently included encountering longhorns!  What a treat for me.  I don't know that I had ever seen any.  At first the long horns made the cattle look a bit threatening, but they hardly made a move as we studied them and took photos.  The white one never got up from her lying position on the ground.   My goal was to capture the calm, gentle nature of the large, spectacular animals. 

This painting is available in my Etsy shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178643339

 

  Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

I got work to do!

I grew up in a chicken world.  Every spring my folks got 100-200 baby chicks, they became "fryers".  We always had the hens too.  Big white hens usually, that's where the eggs came from.  There was always a rooster around too, but the hens were the ones that produced.  I'm just saying...

This painting is available in my Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178269123

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

Feeling Blue

When I start a bird painting I'm not sure what is going to happen.  I work from photos of seagulls that I took at the sailboat marina near my home in Southern Illinois.  Lots of photos of the seagulls in different postures, turned different directions, head up, head down, eyes open, eyes closed.  I start with the photo and change it around and try to let that particular painting evolve.  When I am able to do that, the bird really develops his own personality.  Some are sweet and soft, others not very nice guys.  Some are sleepy, others very alert.  This little guy seems to be feeling blue.  Not exactly sad, there isn't anything thing really wrong, things just aren't right.   Just feeling blue.

This painting is available in my Etsy shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178187494/original-bird-painting-bird-art-portrait

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life

I still love you

I still love you.  There, I said it, I love him.  I have loved only a few of my paintings.  It is interesting, while you are working on the painting, you can't really see it.  It's not till you have walked away and come back that you know.  And when those come along it is never  "I AM AWESOME! LOOK  AT WHAT I PAINTED!"  No, it is..."oh my gosh, I love you".  Yes, it makes me whisper.  I don't know that one painting is any better than another,  it's just the way it makes me feel that causes me to love it.  I know that these paintings are gifts to me, and I accept them graciously.    

This painting is available in my Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/158171493/original-bird-painting-bird-art-egret?ref=shop_home_active_7

 

Betty

Thank you for sharing in this little slice of my life