house sparrows

                                3 4x6

The Cape May Nature Center will be showing some of my paintings in September, and I'm hoping to do a few sets of paintings, like this one, for the show.

Not sure which bird will be next, but it will be a bird I see around my house--chickadee, wren, yellow-rumped warbler, maybe another type of sparrow ...

shells 1, 2, 3, 4

                               @7x11

When I was camping in Assateague last fall, I collected a lot of shells-- all broken and unsuitable for habitation.

Like anyone, I can't resist picking up shells! And I have quite a lot, including some, to me, very cool looking oyster shells-- they can be so frilly ... and, being largely flat, will be, I anticipate, a challenge to paint. Working my way up to it!

When I printed a couple of photos to work from, I got surprising, and pleasing, results.

In the first, the printer was running out of ink.

In the second, I was reusing s piece of paper but inserted it wrong-side-up.

birds

7×11

On a birdwatching walk I got a few good pictures of mute swans ... I want to paint more of these: so little painting is actually needed.

The painting of terns, below, is based on a photo I must have taken in Fla., judging from the color of the water.

4x6

great blue heron

                              11x15

I painted this heron in a class with Michele Clamp, who first encountered on her FB page, Painting Colorful Birds for Fun

And below is one I painted on my own.

I think if I can integrate these approaches, I may have something!

                                11x9

Quick sketch prior to doing the painting above. As often happens, the sketch has an extra appeal.

8x8

wading birds

A red knot, a sanderling, and an avocet.

some flowers

A few small paintings based on what was recently in bloom in my yard.

lighthouses

            Delaware Breakwater Light

                              11x15

Two of the lighthouses not too far from me, in the Delaware Bay.

Honestly never tire of painting these!

Not entirely happy with the sky in either--i tried too hard, and I was going for an "easy" look! But though they're not what I was trying for, they're not the worst. They'll do till I can do better.

                     Brandywine Light

                               10x12

woodpeckers

8x8

I see a few woodpeckers in my yard: yellow-bellied sapsuckers, downeys, and red-bellied, like the one above.

I painted the black markings on his back on wet paper and was happy with the crisp whites between the black lines. Watercolorists know what happens next! The paper was wet, so the black bled into the white and made gray.

The two western woodpeckers below were painted in my class with Salty Water Art.

carol carter zoom class

                                9x12

Must've been at the beginning of covid, I signed up for a 2-session Zoom workshop with Carol Carter ... and I just watched the video tonight!

Carol has her own way of making colors brilliant. I really love her results and got to see her paint, in person, years ago, at a workshop where I also got to meet RH Carpenter of Watercolors & Words, which was also terrific and a lot of fun.

This method, painting one shape at a time is a little time-consuming, but also yields results.

sunsets

A couple of small sunset paintings. When I first started painting watercolors scenes like these were about all I painted. I just enjoyed the colors.

bird class

            white-rumped shama thrush

Two of the Hawaiian birds we are painting this month in Salty Water Art's Zoom class.

I usually try to paint birds I have seen, but there are so many beautiful birds all over the world, I'm rethinking my restriction!

            I'ivi, or scarlet honeycreeper

               (an ABA Bird of the Year)

And a drawing of my most common backyard visitor, the house sparrow.

classwork

A couple of paintings from a Zoom class I took with Michele Clamp, whose work I first saw and admired on FB, where she hosted Paint Colorful Birds for Fun ... and got me started on bird painting!

This class focused on isolating then reproducing color and value.

daffodils 5

Most of the daffodils in my yard are past their prime now. I have some photos but hope to paint them from life once or twice more!

Meanwhile, the tulips are blooming. Mine are all red or pink, so time to wet the reds!

daffodils 4

Another, little, daffodil. Somehow just can't find the time or ambition to do a bigger, more thought-out painting.

And a little forsythia.

ian de hoog class

green violet swallow

green heron

green jay

                                                                        green kingfisher

Focus for the four week session was green birds! Kinda hoping he'll do yellow next!

some birds

More birds.

Meadowlark, fox sparrow, red knot.