Using the source material from my trip to California, I have been creating cards showcasing flowers and hummingbirds in watercolor.
Originally I thought I was observing the Rufous hummer, but Toni the gardener from the Hill House set me straight. It seems though the Rufous & Allen’s look very similar, only the Allen’s breeds in N. California. The male also has a green back further distinguishing it from the reddish brown of the Rufous. The newly discovered Allen’s hummingbird has filled my summer and fall sketchbooks. I’ve mixed new watercolor combinations to capture the beauty of the golden oranges, browns, reds, & greens found on this bird. In the past I always associated hummingbirds with summer due to their fondness for nectar, but the Allen’s colors scream AUTUMN.
I just returned from a visit to Concord, MA where I enjoyed the company of friends who I’ve missed. While visiting Betsi & Pete, I had the opportunity to photograph nuthatches, chickadees, and cardinals at feeders in their lovely backyard. As it gets cold, plants die, and birds are drawn to feeders for food, giving us a chance to observe them up close and personal. I saw a couple hawks watching with interest as well. That fact reminded me of a story relayed by my mother-in-law who saw a beloved cardinal snatched by a hawk near her Michigan feeder which she kept well stocked all winter long . Ah the food chain…… November will see me happily painting nuthatches climbing down a tree head first, my favorite position.
Happy Birding Everyone!!!
In remembrance of my father Albert, who’s birthday was July 14th, I perched the bird on a small china pitcher. I chose this pitcher because the backstamp represents several emotional connections with my father: “ROYAL ALBERT” ties to his name, “ENGLAND” is a place beloved by both my parents, and “FORGET-ME-NOT” because anyone who knew him, never will forget him.
I met them when I first submitted a rack of my cards to the Decorator Warehouse in Lexington. Mufasa and Rafiki are “store dogs”, happily spending their days with shop owner Natalie.
When he was ready we released George near the town home where we lived at the time. When I walked Sam the blue jay would follow us, flying high in the sky. When I swam in the complex pool, George perched nearby on the fence. When I opened the door to our house, George would fly inside take a bath in the small tub of water on my drawing table. The entire neighborhood came to know and delight in seeing George and Sam frolic together.
I have been a birder for as long as I can remember. Chasing after birds as they flew actually made me feel free and unencumbered. It was the birds of prey that caught my attention first. The hawks and owls with their fierce eyes were a pleasure to sketch and paint. In Florida I discovered brown pelicans, watching in wonder as they dove beak-first into the ocean to catch fish. They way their bodies “kerplopped” into the water in such a bizarre fashion intrigued me. Then there were the Osprey diving feet first to grab fish with their talons. Sometimes they misjudge the size of their prey and are pulled under the water to certain death.
In Texas the hummingbirds provided me with a favorite subject to sketch. I’d work on five different drawings in various poses as the hummers got “nectar” from our feeder. Every year a male black-chinned hummer would arrive perching on our peach tree waiting for females. After mating, off he went to chase another! The females laid eggs then raised two babies alone.
Another Texas favorite was the roadrunner, which mates for life. I observed one wandering about seeming greatly disturbed only to find his dead mate close by, the victim of a fast-moving car. It always amazed me to know that roadrunners are capable of working together to kill a rattlesnake, not quite the cartoon image from long ago…
Artful Passages 