OSPREY FEATHER

 

I found this feather when walking by the Christina river a little while ago. I pretty sure it is an osprey's feather, they are regularly seen flying by and diving for fish,  and their nest is not far away downriver. The resident pair used to use a nesting platform set up in the middle of the marsh but this year they opted to nest on the old railway bridge. A month or so ago, I did see three of them in the air at once so I suppose they have been at least partially successful but the area is also covered by a pair of Bald Eagles and they are know to predate Osprey chicks. Perhaps the people in the nearby education center know more about their breeding success, I'll have to ask the next time I'm down that way. Size of this watercolor is 12 x 9 inches.

ALONG THE ALGARVE

 

Another painting done from our Portugal trip some years ago. I loved the colors of the cliffs and rocks found in this area and actually had to tone down their intensity somewhat. This was a quiet beach we spent some time on and I managed quite a few studies. On the opposite side was a narrow path heading up part of the cliff side which I tackled as it allowed some wonderful views across the water a little higher up than would otherwise be possible. I still have to do any paintings from that viewpoint though. This one is another 10 x 8 inch painting, oil on board.

OVER THE SHALLOWS

 

I started this painting a long time ago and can't quite remember if I showed it here on my blog, perhaps in an unfinished state? Anyway, here it is finally completed. I loved looking at this scene across the shallows to the distant body of water which had been highlit by the late afternoon sun - the view here is looking directly towards the light. I probably did another smaller version of this back then but as most of my records are still in storage, don't have access to know for sure. I'm hoping this will change soon but in the meantime, I'm still travelling around looking for places like this to paint. This is a 9 x 12, oil on canvas, 

OFFSHORE ROCKS

 

I saw these rocks just offshore when we were visiting Portugal. Here, I was looking almost directly into the late evening light which because of some cloud cover, is a bit subdued. The rocks appear quite dark against the much lighter sky behind but there are some highlights where the sun was catching their edges on the left but this is hard to see in the photo. I also captured a wave passing through the scene which adds just a little bit of drama to what would otherwise be a rather quiet image. This is another 8 x 10 inch painting, oil on board.

WINTER SPARROW

 

House Sparrows are common around here (as they are in many parts of the world) but I still like their bold chirpy character. In winter, the black bib is not as apparent as in summer giving the bird a slightly more subdued look which I prefer. This bird is sitting on a rather rusted spike that was part of a large rivet-like attachment holding together what must have been a boat dock or some sort. Heavy storms had have broken apart the large timbers, one part of which was still attached and I chose this prop to echo some of the colors in the birds plumage. Size is around 12 x 9 inches, watercolor on Bockingford paper.

RING-BILLED GULL STUDIES

 

I did these adult Ring-billed Gull studies mainly to contrast the different head patterns in their winter plumage. A few birds have paler marking than the two shown here, conversely some are quite a bit darker but I find these medium-sized gulls very attractive and have done many studies of them ever since I saw them for the first time over 30 years ago.

These studies of first winter birds were done for the same reasons as the adults. I am especially attracted to  them mostly because of the soft-pinkish bill and their dark brown eyes. To me they have a somewhat 'cute' look to them in this plumage and being 3 year gulls, I am still seeing some 2nd year birds around here with pinkish bills although a few are beginning to turn a darker greenish-yellow whereas the irises are getting lighter. Both studies are about 12 x 9 inches, watercolor on paper.

MAGELLANIC PENGUIN

 

Although I haven't seen Magellanic Penguins in the wild, I still wanted to do this study of a bird I saw at the zoo. When living in Cape Town, I watched the similar African Penguin on a few occasions as they were quite near to where I was staying at the time but not sure if any of my old sketches of those birds survived the many moves. Anyway, this was an enjoyable diversion from the mostly oil paintings I have been doing of late, Size is about 10 x 8 inches, watercolor on Crelando paper.