Pompadour Cotinga

oil on hardboard panel, 6" x 8"

Not much is known about this beautiful iridescent bird that inhabits Central and tropical South America, but I just love the brilliant rich red of this bird and thought it might be well served to set it against an abstracted neutral gray background.  

Estero Creek

oil on hardboard panel, 8" x 6"

This palette knife plein air painting was a rather hurried attempt to capture the golden light of late afternoon in a sweet pastoral setting that I discovered the other day in West Sonoma County.  I will definitely go back for another try, as I found it to be enchanting.  There were also black cows dotted here and there, but I didn't attempt to capture them.  Maybe next time.

Great Tits

oil on hardboard panel, 8" x 10"

For anyone interested, there is a theme within a theme emerging from my bird painting series.  Can you guess what that theme is?  These little birds are found throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.

Comb-crested Jacana

oil on canvas, 10" x 20"

This jacana, or lotusbird, as it is otherwise known, is found in parts of Australia, the Philippines, and several other lesser islands of that region.  I love lily pads, lotus blossoms, and the still warm waters that bring them to life and symbolize for me the feeling of peace and calm.  This delicate little bird is like a flower itself, so perfectly matched to its environment.  Just another miracle of nature.

Red-billed Blue Magpie

oil on hardboard panel, 12" x 6"

This one practically painted itself.  Initially, I was frustrated by not having any ultramarine blue on hand, a color I considered essential to the success of this painting.  I ended up using a mix of ultramarine violet, cerulean blue, and prussian blue, and was pleasantly surprised by the results.  Another member of the crow family, this blue magpie is found mostly in the Indian Subcontinent and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Spread Eagle

acrylic on canvas, 10" x 20"

My idea for this painting was not fully realized and so it stands to get partially reworked at some point.  I might be lying about that, as I seldom "partially" rework a painting.  Once the brush hits the surface, one thing always leads to another, and before I know it, I'm looking at an entirely different painting.  For this reason, I can't approach it until I have a better idea how to achieve the desired result.  I do like the bird, so I may just switch to oils and start a new one, an easier proposition.

Rufous Treepie

oil on hardboard panel, 12" x 6"

In my recent research of bird species, I came across this one I'd never heard of before, with a beautiful long blue/gray tail.  The rufous treepie is a member of the crow family and native to Southeast Asia.  Had to paint it! 

Cattle Egret

oil on canvas, 20" x 10"

Yet another bird painting.  I can't seem to stop myself!  The cattle egret is fond of hitching rides on cows and feasting on insects to be found among them.  This egret is in mating mode.

Green Jay

oil on hardboard panel, 8" x 10"

Another bird painting, this one in the blue jay family.  I loved the yellow underside and the pale green back feathers.

Birds of Ellis Creek

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 24"

This is just a small sampling of birds to be found at Ellis Creek on any given day, a local wildlife sanctuary that I frequently visit.  On this particular day in spring and after a good rain, there were a number of egrets, along with the usual swans, Canadian geese, and even a great blue heron adding to the magic of the place.  I love Ellis Creek!

Ain't Talkin'

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 13"

This was just for fun.  The reference photo I used for this painting is of a nicobar pigeon.  I was intrigued by it, especially by its hidden head, which made me wonder, what else is it hiding?

Blowin' in the Wind

oil on canvas, 14" x 14"

A snowy egret on a ledge above the sea on a blustery day.

Great White Egret

iPad painting, 10" x 10"

I've been working on several paintings that feature birds as a subject.  I often visit Ellis Creek, a local bird sanctuary, and seem to be getting more obsessed with them by the day.  The colors and sheer variety of bird species in the world are simply astounding, most of which I was almost entirely unaware until recently.  Due to all the egrets I've studied lately at Ellis Creek, I was able to do this digital sketch from memory.

Wisterian Path

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

We're not quite out of spring yet, although it feels that way where I live in Sonoma County, with temps reaching into the mid-80's already.  It has me longing for a shady path like this to walk my dog, and sit for a bit to take it all in.

Study in Orange and Green

iPad painting, 10" x 10"

This sketch was done as an experiment in complementaries, and since I think about landscapes so much, it seemed a foregone conclusion that I would dream up a scene like this.  I do like the colors, though.  It reminds me a bit of the English countryside, perhaps somewhere in Devon I once passed through.

Tweeters

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12"

I had this idea to incorporate birds into an abstract painting, and the result is pretty close to my original vision, a rarity for me.

Blue Fairy Wren

oil on wood panel, 5" x 5"

Continuing with my bird theme of late, here's a cute little round bird I had fun painting.

Wings of the Dove

iPad painting, 10" x 10"

Thinking about birds again, here's a quick little digital sketch of a dove in flight, with the light illuminating its feathers.

Hills of Woodacre

oil on hardboard panel, 12" x 16"

This is a palette knife plein air painting I did on the spur of the moment recently while driving home unexpectedly from work due to a power outage.  The hills in Marin and Sonoma Counties are quite lush and green from all the rain we had this past winter.  

Bryce Canyon

acrylic on canvas, 38" x 24"

This was an exercise in values.  I wanted to get those cool blues and light violets in the background to complement the warmth in the rock in the foreground on the right.  A work in progress.