Des Oiseaux Sur un Bateau

 

oil on panel, 24" x 18"

I've been sitting with this painting for a while, wondering whether it's finished or not.  I've done quite a few of these "bird girl" paintings and I think there might be one or two more in me before I'm done.

Whitehead with Black Bird

 

oil on canvasboard, 14" x 11"

The latest bird girl portrait.  It seems to complete a series I've been doing.  I'm happy with this one.

Yellowhead with Orange Bird

oil on canvasboard, 14" x 11"

This is another portrait in the series done mostly with a palette knife.  I broke my own rule with this one of keeping to 2 hours tops to do it.  Took me close to 3 hours.

Pinkhead with Green Bird

oil on canvasboard, 14" x 11"

Here's the next in a series I've been doing pairing women with birds in portrait format.  I limit these exercises to 2 hours, tops.  This one took the full 2 hours.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Such a big name for such a little bird!  An exotic, beautiful bird with irridescent flashes of ultramarine blue, purple, plum, crimson, and magenta.

Blue-eared Starling Study

 

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

Another bird portrait here.

Seagull Study

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

Another in my series of bird portraits.

Satin Bowerbird Study

 

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

Here's another bird portrait to add to the mix, mostly done with a palette knife like the last one.  I'm trying not to take more than a couple hours to do these studies.  The goal is to keep it simple and not labor over them or get fussy.

Orange Fruit Dove Study

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

I'm racking up the bird portraits with another one here.

Bathing Beauty with Fairy Wren

oil on canvas, 24" x 24"

This is another addition to my "bird girl" series of paintings.  It was a fun one to do.   Updated 5/30/24.  I yellowed up the foreground on this painting and added a bit of shadow.  I wanted the color scheme to be more distinct primaries.  I think doing this has brought out the reds more, and I wanted that red bow to be more noticeable.  I'm happy with it overall, especially with her face.

La Demoiselle

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

The second in a series of bird portraits, this one of a demoiselle crane.

Scarlet Macaw Study

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

Didn't want to take too much time on this portrait study of a scarlet macaw, as I am not very much into realism as a painter; I find it quite tedious and boring to do, and so I stopped once I felt I'd gotten the "gist" of this bird.

Cordon Bleu Waxbill

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

This fat little bird was painted mostly with a palette knife.  The beautiful two-tone color scheme of the bird itself was what captivated me.

Tricolored Heron with Bonsai Cherry Tree

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

Yet another study.  Didn't spend a lot of time on this.  Hopefully one day in the not-too-distant future, my pet sitter will be able to take care of my restless dog again and I'll be able to work in my studio undisturbed where I can spend a chunk of time on actual paintings.  I miss my studio so much, I could cry.

Black-headed Gull

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Another bird study, just trying to keep it loose.

A Brief Interlude

 

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Another bird study, this one of a white-bellied sea eagle.  I was drawn to the intensity of the stare.

Warbler in a Window

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This painting started life as an abstract exploration of yellow, black and grey, inspired by the colors of a MiniCooper I had seen on the road that was mostly grey with black accents, a yellow grill and yellow ears.  I like this particular color combo with the various mixes it produces, especially the green/greys.  The yellow warbler just seemed like a natural fit.

Blue Heron at Ellis Creek

 

oil on panel, 8" x 6"

Ellis Creek in Petaluma has long been a favorite source of landscape painting inspiration for me, with its great variety of terrain, including marshes, ponds, grasses and distant hills, not to mention avian wildlife in the form of herons, egrets, swans, stilts, and many other winged species.  It's an ever changing ecosystem there and I never get tired of it.

White-necked Heron

oil on canvas, 12" x 6"

Another bird painting, a favorite subject of mine.

White Ibis

oil on panel, 16" x 16"

The white ibis is said to be a symbol of optimism and good luck, which I could use a bit of right now.  With this painting, here's hoping the new year uplifts the spirit and brings good luck to all.