Saturday, April 22, 2006

Bluebirds


Yesterday while sketching my viburnum, I watched the bluebirds flit back and forth from food to nest feeding their young. I patiently waited with camera to try to capture these flashes of blue -- I simply am NOT a fast enough sketcher. I was able to capture two decent photos.

After a grueling, but successful plant sale (yes, it sunned, rained, winded, thundered, and stormed throughout our sale-- yet, we had record turn-outs and did as much business as we did LAST year when we had SUN!), I finished sketching from my photo and watercolored the image. I know I've overworked areas -- but since I'm just up to lesson 4 for watercoloring, I'm not too unhappy with the way this turned out -- especially since I'm operating on 4 hours sleep.

Do explain to me why ANYONE, except in a dire emergency, would be calling anyone else at 1:00 am?? And why a wrong number at that hour will get one's heart beating fast enough for a heart attack and it's so darn hard to go back to sleep!! SIGH!!!!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lin, I don't think anyone is a fast enough sketcher to draw a moving bird from life other than in an impressionistic way, so don't be hard on yourself. You've captured the essence of the scene and I especially like the way you've suggested depth by lightening the background as it recedes.

Sue Seibert said...

Lin, I love your bluebird. They are some of my favorite birds, and slowly they are coming into our central Texas county.

BTW, right now we are north of you in Bailyton TN headed for VA.

Donn said...

Great painting, Lin. I like your trees and the bluebird box. You captured it very well.
Yes, bluebirds don't stay put long. We have them in our birdbaths. Fun to watch them flutter and spray water everywhere!
They are one of my favorite birds. My wife likes the cardinal.

Tami said...

Lin, I think you are moving right along with your paintings! This is nice and I agree with Karen about the background, it has a lot of depth. Bluebird is lovely! I was trying to sketch some finches up in a tree today, I need a third hand for the binocs.

Felicity Grace said...

Wow Lin! Lovely painting (I'm hoping I'll learn something by following your progress!) Sympathies re the phone ringing - this happens ALL THE TIME in the Middle East. I've no idea why but everyone used to talk about it when I lived in Dubai and Kuwait. I ended up taking the phone off the hook some nights. I know it takes a few days to stop feeling tired too! Happy painting!

Terri said...

You are simply AMAZING. I don't know how you do it. So busy, so productive. :o) Love the brilliant little bluebird. I think it's a great painting and I agree with Karen about the background. She said it better than I could. :o)

Linda said...

Gorgeous little bluebird -- I like how you even got the bit of peach under the wings! :-)

Carole said...

Lin, This is lovely. I particularly like the detail of the leaves in the foreground, and the way you've captured the light on them.
I defy anyone to sketch a bird from real life!

Anonymous said...

Another lovely, light-filled sketch. I'm sorry it rained on your plant sale, Lin. The ONE day it rained ALL fall was the day of my stepdaughter's wedding and then it rained buckets. Are we doing something wrong, you and me? ;D

Cin said...

lovely sketch Lin, like the movement of the branches coming into and off the page and the bright color of the bluebird, nicely done!

Teri said...

Lin, this is beautiful! Did I ever tell that in another life :), I was the PR person for the bluebird association in Wis and started their website? No, I didn't think so :) but you have truly captured the bluebird here!