Today I did some paintings of birds from the field guide “Birds of the World”. The birds (photographs) are not grouped in much of a familiar order so I just flipped through and what caught my fancy I drew. I love European Robins and hope to see one in person someday! I also put one in my “Love Entangled” oil painting. I guess the Roman’s believed he got his red breast when he pulled the thorn from Christ’s head, the blood coloring his breast forever.
The other bird is a Blackburnian Warbler, I just loved the strong pattern and colors! I’m still using the Inktense color pencils so I can get used to them, I really like them so far! The trick of course is coming up with the subtle colors that don’t come straight from the pencil.
I do like to write, sometimes things pop into my head and I have to write them down, such as the quotes you see. I especially like the two last ones, I think I should have a tee shirt that says “I paint, therefore I live”
The last painting is for ‘camulus’, who’s left some nice comments on my blog and today said that there was a Red Admiral Butterfly in their kitchen! Awake too early for Spring, just like my ladybugs. (Camulus lives in Northumberland England, the comments are on the last post).
That is a very nice “Red Admiral Butterfly” just like the one that was in my kitchen, thanks Mary. Last November in Northumberland was unusually warm. During the first week of that month I counted sometimes up to 15 Butterflies feeding on the Red Valerian(Centranthus Ruber) flowers growing along a rocky place in the garden, many of which were “Red Admirals”.
Robins are also one of my favourite birds, I am sure you will get to see one soon. Whenever I go into the garden they seem to follow me about almost asking me to feed them. There was a particular tame one who perched on the bonnets/hoods of parked cars at the local picnic spot, but I haven’t seen him for a while. The cheekiest of my regulars to the bird feeder is a small “Blue Tit” who will fly through the patio windows if they are open and help himself to the peanuts kept in a basket near the door.
Hello camulus,
the funny thing is, in my field guide for butterfies it says the range of the Red Admiral is all over N. America, Canada, and C.America, why didn’t it say Europe? I was glad to hear that this IS the same butterfly you had in your kitchen! I’ve noticed that birds we have here, may go by another name over your way in England. I guess it’s just to keep us on our toes.
Your European Robin I’ll not see until I cross the ‘pond’, we just don’t have them here. Too bad, I have always been attracted to them. One of our most popular birds is the American Robin, which isn’t a robin at all but a thrush. Sings just gorgeously! I love all the thrushes too!
Your Blue Tit sounds like our Black Capped Chickadee…very un-shy little bird, will come very close and not seem frightened.
thanks for your comments!
Mary