WILLET IN THE SURF

 

During our long walks along the beach in winter, apart from gulls, Willets were the most common bird seen and we spent hours observing them. They were almost always present, usually in small groups but sometimes solitary. In winter plumage, they are a little on the drab side but then most waders are. Still, they made very interesting subjects for me and I'm still working on studies of them although I have yet to put together a work that will show them off to their best. This watercolor study was done in my Canson sketchbook - size is 12" x 9".

THE ORANGE DOOR - SPAIN

 

While walking through a small town in Spain, I followed an alleyway and came to this orange door. Everything seemed to draw me in, the off white walls, the narrow walkway and the sunlit area surrounding the door at the end. I did this study in in oil and has become something of a milestone for me as it has opened the possibility for doing other and more complex paintings of scenes like this. For simplicity, I kept this one small, size is 7" x 5".

CLOUDS OVER GUARD SHORE

 

I did this small study on a cold and cloudy winter's day. The wind was biting but I managed to get enough information to finish this painting off at home. We often walked along the shore there and I found many painting opportunities, some of which I have noted for future works. This one is an oil on canvas, size 7" x 5".

THE LIGHT AT MID-DAY

 

This back-lit scene on an intense day in late summer was captured in acrylics which I sometimes use depending on the subject. Somehow the shady little bench in the foreground with its view between the towering trees invites one to linger and to gaze around in wonder. There was a quiet solitude here too that captivated us and in a nearby pond we found wild Mandarin Ducks, some still displaying - others resting on the shore - a truly magical day!

LITTLE BLUE HERON STUDIES

 

While watching waders at Chincoteague last week, a Little Blue Heron landed close by and began stalking fish close to the shoreline. I managed to do some reference studies which then led to these small watercolor studies done in my sketchbook. Size is about 12" x 9.5".

LITTLE BLUE HERON

 

I found this Little Blue Heron resting on the waters edge recently at Chincoteague. It had been feeding in the shallows nearby then it moved much closer and posed for a while (probably digesting its catch). I did these drawings in my sketchbook while the bird was in bright sunlight - fortunately it didn't move about too much! Once I had got most of the two poses down, I darkened them slightly and added a few of the finer details when I got back home and the bird was still fresh in my mind. Size is about 12" x 8".

TURKEY VULTURE STUDIES

 

We often see Turkey Vultures on the ground around here. I think it is a combination of the very high winds that sometimes sweep the area (especially in winter) and the fact that they can often find worms on the road. I drew and painted these birds as they sat nearby in the back yard. They also roost on the house (making loud clomping noises) or the the roof of the barn next door so I have plenty of opportunities to sketch them. Occasionally there are as many as 20 or so around at one time and I never tire of watching them soaring overhead especially in windy conditions. These studies were done in my sketchbook, size 12" x 9".