PEONY BUD

 

Most of the peonies around here have finished blooming now but a month or so ago, I started a series of paintings of some the flowers I found - this one is the first that I did. There are two large peony plants nearby that I could take a short walk to and observe on a day-to-day basis, one a pale vanilla color with a few deep purplish-red highlights, the other one slightly darker with more red. Others further away in plantings along the river were a solid dark red and didn't attract me like the lighter ones did. I think this goes back to the peonies we had in our old home that produced beautiful large creamy flower heads the size of my palm, some with a few deep rose-red stamens. I really do miss those and wish I could have taken them with us when we left! I kept the paintings mostly small to start with, although the completely opened flowers were done on larger panels. This one is 7 x 5 in (18 x 13 cm), oil on board.

RECENT BIRD STUDIES

 

A while ago, I posted a page from my sketchbook featuring some House sparrow studies, the bottom one still in pencil. I did plan on finishing and re-posting the page but only recently got around to completing that one. I did enjoy painting these smaller birds and whenever I wanted to get any more information from them such as leg color or how much black had come through on the breast of the males, I simply had to walk downstairs and find one of the many living around the property. At this time, there are some young sparrows around too that hatched only a few weeks ago - and looking very cute!

I saw this Great Blue Heron as it passed overhead and began flying away from me. I remember the large dark wings against the sky and how its slow but powerful wing strokes quickly took the bird out of sight. Earlier in spring, I stood outside near the river watching the sky and looking for any signs of migration. A few large flocks of Snow Geese had passed overhead earlier and then came two Great Blues. They were quite close together but didn't form up as other birds of the same species usually do. Both heading north and flew right over the city! I would have expected that they would have kept to the many waterways around here. Another day, a loose flock of 7 Great Egrets passed by along with more flocks of geese. One small group of Canada Geese had a lone cormorant attached to it!

Both these watercolor studies are about 4 x 5 in, (10 x 13 cm).

MARSH SUNSET V

 

Another theme I keep coming back to. Something about that particular time of the day, and the solitude of open spaces. It is a particular feeling that is difficult to explain when one is surrounded by the expanse of a marsh at twilight. I know I'll keep painting it again and again - hopefully one day I will be able to encapsulate all my feelings in one painting. This oil on canvasboard is 12 x 9 inches (30 x 23cm).

BUFFLEHEAD STUDIES

 

In winter, I stood by the shore looking out across a bay near the headwaters of the Chesapeake. It was windy and cold but the sun began breaking through the clouds. Earlier, I had noticed a small party of Buffleheads further offshore and now nearby me were a few more. Mostly males, they began chasing a single female. There was a lot of splashing about as one male challenged another during their courtship, then they would all take off and shortly land again suddenly diving underwater. When they surfaced, some sped across the water creating a series of foamy furrows before diving again. I heard one or two of them calling a low rek rek, their bills held only slightly open with the head held stiffly upright. Eventually they moved further offshore but I managed a quick painting of one of the males in flight.

Later where it was calmer, another male posed in brighter light which brought out the iridescence on its head. Ranging from yellowish through purple, deep blue and greenish-black, I tried to capture this in my painting - difficult in watercolor but this study will do for now. Size of each is about 6 x 8 in. 

LONE PINE STUDY

 

Continuing with an evening theme here, I did this painting from something I saw a while time ago.  An evening walk took us past a large field then on through a small community where deer often browsed. Our destination was a small dock alongside a tidal river and we would sit for awhile as the sun set over the marsh behind us. This pine was the last tree before the flowing marsh grasses ran out to the barrier islands and often a pair of eagles would sit there looking out while darkness fell. I tried to capture the moment in this smaller study - hopefully a larger one will follow. Size is 8 x 9 in, watercolor on paper.

SUNDOWN AT GUARD SHORE

 

Guard Shore, late December. I was sitting quietly and peacefully at the shore watching the dusk descend. The place was deserted and I was thankful for it! I could hear chip chip calls from sparrows that lurked in the marsh grasses nearby, the taller strands of grass waved in the chilly breeze. Behind me, a high whistling from a Surf Scoter's wings as it took to the air and flew deeper into the bay. A few had been feeding just offshore, diving then reappearing to bounce up and down in the choppy water. As the night drew in across the marsh, the sky took on an intense yellow that slowly deepened to blood-red before finally fading to black. It was an experience to cherish and I tried to capture my feeling for that evening in this painting. Size is 9 x 12 in (23 x 30 cm). Oil on canvas.

SUMMER FIELDS STUDY

 

A smaller study I did quite a few years ago which I posted back in 2013! I thought I would show it again as this kind of scene is still relevant to me as an artist. As with so much of my work back then (and now), I was trying to capture the mood of an early morning sunrise with the sun just breaking through clouds. I never tire of this subject and currently have quite a few more like this on the go! This one is an 8 x 10 oil painting.