Black-Capped Chickadee

The black-capped chickadee is the friendliest wild bird we have in this area to the point where people think of it almost as a tame bird.

Whereas other birds will fly from the feeder when I open my door, chickadees will let me get within inches before they feel the need to fly. Perhaps it is because they are so quick and are not worried about being caught.

I think it's because they are quick-witted. They understand perfectly well that I don't intend them any harm.
Have you ever had a chickadee tap on your window to let you know that the feeder is empty? This has happened here more than once. I find it interesting that they tap the window. This means that they understand the concept of people being inside a building, since I never go out the window. You'd think they might tap the door.

It was fun to paint this adorable little bird on a winterberry branch.

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Sunflowers

Certain flowers prove to be favorites among art collectors and sunflowers definitely belong to that group. So, here they are again after more requests have come in for these bright, shaggy-headed giants.

The sunflowers in this area have gone to seed by now. The birds are happy about this, as sunflower seed is a big favorite with those that hang around all winter. They are excellent sources of nutrients to help birds survive a long, cold winter.

Speaking of cold, it has not yet become cold here. It has really not gone much below 60 degrees F causing speculation that New England will be the new Florida before long. Say it's not so. I love winter. What would it be without snow? It's funny to listen to folks here. They usually gripe about the cold, but, now that it's not cold when it should be, they gripe about that! Can't please them.

• This painting has been sold.

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Lily-of-the-Valley

Lily-of-the-valley is a favorite groundcover for woodland gardens as it does well in light to moderate shade and rich slightly acid soil. Delightfully fragrant when they bloom in the spring, they will naturalize to cover a large area with rich green that will last until August in this area.

I like how the tiny bell flowers stand out against the dark green leaves in this painting.

• This painting has been sold.

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Nasturtiums

"Be nasty to nasturtiums and they'll be nice to you." Isn't that how the saying goes? Well, I wouldn't go so far as to be nasty, but as long as you plant these bright annual seeds in a sunny spot and something resembling garden soil, they will reward you with an abundance of blooms and interesting foliage until frost. I remember hearing that if you feed them, they will not bloom as well.

It was interesting to paint this flower. Most blooms will keep for the time it takes to paint them if put in water and they tend to stay still. Well, the nasturtiums kept OK, they just didn't stay still. Everytime I looked at them, it seemed they had moved - swayed around to a slightly different position. The leaves did the same. I suppose as the cut plant took up water through the stem, it caused the plant to move that way. It was like the plant was dancing!

• This painting has been sold.

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Fishing Harbor, Grand Manan Island

This painting is based on a scene from beautiful Grand Manan Island which can be accessed by a ferry from Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. The island is close to the northernmost part of Maine. Part of New Brunswick, it is situated offshore at the eastern tip of the US/Canada border. Fishing, aquaculture (fish, shellfish & kelp farming) and tourism are the sole basis of the economy here. It's a quiet place to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday 21st century life.

Geologist friends of mine own a home on the island and live there year-round. They claim that there are many interesting rock specimens to find. They tell me that the winters are not harsh, as I'd thought. They are actually warmer than New England winters due to being surrounded by warm ocean waters. Still, it's probably not Jamaica...so bring a sweater or something when you go!

• This painting has been sold, but if you would like a print made, please contact me.

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PeeGee Hydrangeas

This is a closer view of the PeeGees than the last painting I did of them. They are turning pink along the edges of the petals. Hydrangea leaves are very distinctive. I remember when studying botanical illustration, the students were told that in order to get a flower right, the leaf has to be studied and painted correctly as well. Even when we are looking at a flower and not focusing on the leaves, they help make up the overall sense of a flower and are very important, not just for identification, but also for the aesthetic quality of the plant .
At any rate, I find hydrangea leaves to be just as much fun to paint as the flower petals. Their green makes such a nice backdrop for the white blooms.

• This painting has been sold.

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Great Blue Heron

The herons are most likely on their way now to northern South America where they winter.

This heron, often miscalled a crane, folds its neck in flight but leaves its long legs trailing. It stands up to 4 ft. tall and uses its dagger-like bill to catch small fish, frogs and crawfish in marshes, ponds, swamps and tideflats. It's a favorite bird of mine. I love to watch a great blue flying over a pond or fishing along the shore.

• This painting has been sold.

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American Flamingos

I couldn't stop smiling while painting these birds. Maybe it's their graceful, sinuous necks and long legs. They remind me of ballet dancers in tutus.

The American Flamingo, a slim, rose pink wading bird, can be found on the Florida coast, the West Indies, Yucatan and Galapagos Islands. Some of those that are seen in the wild in other areas are escapes from wildlife sanctuaries and they are often less vibrant in color as their color fades in captivity.

Flamingos inhabit salt flats and lagoons where they feed on small fish and crustaceans, immersing their heads into the water.

When in flight, their long legs trail behind and their necks extend out in front. Their call is a gooselike gabbling.
It was a delight to compose a painting of these pretty, sociable creatures. I hope that it brings a smile to your face too.

• This painting has been sold.

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Heavenly Blues

Well, here they are again. I told you that I can't stop painting morning glories.

It's amazing that they are still blooming here in New England in mid-October. They are totally susceptible to the slightest frost and usually they are gone by now.

But though it did get cold the other night, it wasn't cold enough to harm these beauties. It's lucky, too, because they take so long to finally bloom. This year we will have had almost two months of blooms by the time they are frostbit. Who knows, if it stays warm enough, even more.

So, to celebrate October Heavenly Blues, I've painted them with a bit of autumn color in the background.

• This painting has been sold.

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White Siberian Iris Watercolor Painting

The Siberian Iris is a beardless form of iris that blooms all at once in early summer. It grows 2-3 feet tall and likes acid soil. If it has the proper soil, it will grow vigorously and cover a slope or other large area.

I like how it looks in this painting conatrasted with its sword-shaped leaves and the dark background.

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Harbor

This is a typical scene on the US east coast with beach roses lining the shore and a lighthouse in the distance. If you are wondering where exactly this is, I will tell you somewhere along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has happened so many times that someone recognizes a place they love, only to be disappointed when they find out the painting was not based on that place.

But since I usually take liberties with a photo that I've taken for the sake of a better painting, this one can be where you want it to be.

I could almost smell the salt air and hear the sound of gulls flying overhead as I painted this scene. Wouldn't you just love to take a stroll along that boardwalk?

• This painting has been sold.
  

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India Blue Peacock

Here is another painting of this beautiful bird, this time with its feathers spread in a mating display. The male, referred to as a peacock, is the one with the bright colors and magnificent plumage. The female peahen is duller with only some iridescent plumage and no display feathers.

These feathers, by the way, are not the tail. They are supremely elongated upper tail coverts. The male's tail is brown and short like the female's.

A native of the Indian subcontinent, peafowl have been kept as pets and ornamental birds in other parts of the world. In medieval times, they were served by nobility at banquets, stuffing the meat into the bird's plumage for show. Since their meat is tough, though, and not the most desirable delicacy, sometimes people cheated and stuffed the feathers with a more tender fowl. Hmmm....tastes just like chicken.

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PeeGee Hydrangeas

The PeeGee is the late blooming hydrangea that will grow into stunning trees about 8 ft. high. There is a fellow up the road from me who has planted rows of them along both sides of the road. He tends them with the greatest care, pruning in spring just so to get large blooms. Right now, they have turned from white to pink and they still look beautiful.

In this painting, you can see the pinkish cast on the blooms while they are still white. Hydrangea make such a lovely painting that I have painted them time and again.

• This painting has been sold.

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American Goldfinches Watercolor Painting

The American Goldfinch's summer plumage is a striking lemon yellow in the male. The winter color is more like the female's summer attire except a bit more grayish in color. They are fond of thistle seed and weed seed. Even the dandelions on your lawn provide food for them, so don't get rid of all the weeds if you like having these colorful birds around.

If you just can't abide weeds, then put out a feeder with thistle seed in it. This past summer, I used a regular song bird mix and the goldfinches visited daily.

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Monarch Butterfly & Buddleia Bush

Buddleia is also known as butterfly bush for the way they attract dozens of these delicate creatures to come sip their nectar. Mine are still in bloom and still attracting butterflies, but the monarchs are no longer stopping by. I suspect they are on their way to Mexico by now to spend the winter.

But here is one that I saw several weeks ago. I thought that the orange of the butterfly and the deep magenta of the blossoms made an interesting color combination against a bright blue sky.

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Field of Sunflowers

To me there is something starkly beautiful about these sunflowers against the evening sky with the hills in the distance. It is like a landscape and garden painting at the same time. Looking at this scene, I can feel the cool evening air of late summer and imagine the smell of a nearby field that has just been cut for hay.

• This painting has been sold.

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Purple Iris

I'm thinking back to when the irises where blooming. That seems like such a long time ago now that the pumpkins are harvested, doesn't it?

An iris is a lovely flower to look at and a lovely thing to paint as well. Here, I've focused on just one bloom with a bud about to burst open in order to portray the delicacy and the velvety look of the petals.If you have irises in your garden, the leaves can be cut back in the fall to a 12 inch fan. If they have grown into a thick clump, you can dig them up, divide the rhizomes and replant them with more space between for better blooms next year.

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