DOWNTOWN LIGHTS

 

From out on our balcony looking down, I could see this scene just to the right of me so I was able to work directly from life. The ambient light from inside the apartment was enough to paint with although there was a slight period for my eyes to adjust slightly each time I looked out - it certainly helped that the board already had a black acrylic coat on it before I started! Slowly building up the paint in layers, I was able to capture a somewhat impressionistic feeling of this small corner of downtown Wilmington and creating this one was a rewarding experience. I think it would have been easier to do this kind of painting in oil instead of acrylic as I struggled to blend some areas as I would have liked. Still, I now have this work that captures in many ways the time, experiences and emotion that I felt when staying there. Size is 8 x 10 inches, acrylic on panel.

NIGHTLIGHTS

 

Another in my city nocturne series. As in the one posted before, this is an evening view looking across the harbor. I was primarily concentrating on creating a certain mood keeping my tones in the background a deep bluish color with the smaller lights used as a kind of musical scale spread across the work with differing intensities. A faint highlight reflecting below the building indicates water and was an important inclusion. Size is 7 x 5 inches, acrylic on board.

OSPREY

 

At a nearby lake, we were very happy to find a resting Osprey overlooking the water. Probably shouldn't have been that much of a surprise as these birds turn up allover during migration. It sat in a tall dead tree so I was able to get some great views and did this watercolor in my sketchbook.

The bird was still there a few days later although perched a bit further away from the lake and as we were walked by, it flew a little further into the nearby woodland. I did manage another drawing from when I saw it the first time then also did a few in-flight watercolors. All of these studies are about 12 x 9 inches.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW

 

Most of winter I have been watching and hearing White-throated Sparrows, usually found with other birds in and around the nearby woodland. Now that spring has arrived, many are passing through heading north and the earliest ones have been splendid males in their sharp breeding plumage. I love hearing their cheery and up-lifting song which sounds like 'Oh Sweet Canada Canada Canada'. I found this male scratching through some fallen leaves. Sometimes they are quite tame and allow you to get close - I managed quite a few quick pencil sketches but this study was done in watercolor. Size is about 6 x 7 inches.

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE

 

During most of winter, I had been following roving flocks of small birds whenever I have found them. Mostly these flocks consist of tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers and occasionally Brown Creepers. Chickadees seem to feature most of the time and being more easily approachable (especially when feeding or searching for food - which in winter, seems to be almost always!), I can occasionally make a few sketches of them before they move on. Later, I can add to some of the better ones with a few more details from some of my photos. This way, I can hopefully build up a more accurate representation of the species. And this is what I have been trying to do with this study - I think I am almost there although the legs and feet are always a little tricky for me. Size is 12 x 9 inches - watercolor on Grumbacher paper.