Oil Landscape Demonstration - Apple Tree

It's apple picking time in New England and the trees are ripe with fruit. There is a farm near my studio that has a lone apple tree standing near the edge of a field. It would make a great subject for a painting, so let's see what we can do with it!

Wood Thrush and Autumn Leaves watercolor painting

All summer long, I have enjoyed the clear, flute-like song of the wood thrush emanating from the woods around my studio. Each time I heard it, I thought of painting this bird.

But here it is almost September already and the maple leaves are starting to turn. The thrush will soon be on its way to Panama. So to catch it before its migration, I've done this painting of a wood thrush among the colorful leaves of a maple tree in early autumn.

• The original has been sold, but check my Etsy shop for more of my bird art. Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Purple Balloon Flower - watercolor painting

Balloon flowers get their name from the flower buds. The delightful buds resemble hot air balloons just before opening.

My balloon flowers are still in bloom and I picked a stem to bring inside for this painting. You can see the flower in different stages from a new green bud, to buds that have "ballooned" to the opened flowers and even a spent flower that is ready to seed.

Purple Cone Flowers and Fritillary Butterfly

Whenever the cone flowers blooms, there are butterflies on them, tiny one, larger ones and sometimes even large swallowtails.  They must find something particularly attractive about these flowers.

Here in soft pastel colors, I've painted them along with a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly that is common in my garden and a frequent visitor to cone flowers when they are in bloom.

• You can find my original flower paintings and prints for sale in my Etsy shop, JanetZeh.Etsy.com. Thanks for stopping by and have a delightful day!

Hummingbird & Rose of Sharon Hibiscus - watercolor

Did you know that Rose of Sharon are a type of hibiscus? They look just like larger hibiscus flowers but have small blooms and grow as shrubs. Unlike the tropical hibiscus, Rose of Sharon are perennials in New England blooming in August through early September. They are a definite favorite with hummingbirds.

In this painting, a ruby-throated hummingbird stops by for a sip of nectar from a pink flower surrounded by five flower buds.

• The original of this painting is sold.  Check my Etsy shop for currently available bird paintings and prints or let me know if you'd like a print of this one.  Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!