Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Painting #12 - American Goldfinches on a Thistle Feeder

American Goldfinches eating thistle seeds on the feeder outside our kitchen window.

Even in their dull winter plumage, enough yellow remains in our goldfinches' feathers to brighten the greyest of Cincinnati days. This small flock of goldfinches visited our thistle feeder during the Great Backyard Bird Count of 2007. Rick (the Reluctant Birder) was the photographer back then, and he took the photo I used for this painting. These sweet birds didn't mind the snowflakes at all as they meticulously pulled one tiny thistle seed after another from the mesh screening of the thistle feeder.


32 comments:

Penny said...

This is a lovely painting. I just dont seem to be able to get the detail in my paintings while my eye is such a mess. Wish I could paint like you!

Elaine said...

Beautiful! You're well on your way to 100.

holdingmoments said...

Lovely painting Kelly. Really captured the cold of the day.

Wanda..... said...

You captured the soft gentle side of a cold snowy day in this painting Kelly! Lovely!

Kerri Farley said...

Your paintings just take my breath away. And that they are of BIRDS makes it even better! I am in awe of your talent!

Jayne said...

Oh, I LOVE this Kelly!

Anonymous said...

Your just too good Kelly.

Chris said...

This is a beautiful painting Kelly.. So I can see that when you can not go birding, you are painting a lot... You have two very good skills, birding and painting!!

Diane said...

Kelly, this is beautiful and should be displayed in various types of shops! Absolutely gorgeous!

Kyna said...

I love your paintings, you captured those goldfinches beautifully :D My mum has been a watercolour artist for about 15 years now, it's my favourite painting medium.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Gorgeous painting Kelly of the Goldfinches. We all have alot of them around this year, don't we?????

I LOVE your PAINTINGS.
Hugs,
Betsy

Laure Ferlita said...

Fabulously well done!!! Love the feeling of falling snowflakes, the intense cold, and the warmth of the birds fluttering about.

Hmmm, a print or cards or the image on a coffee mug......

Roy said...

Good work, Kelly! I have a friend whose feeder is as full of Goldfinches now as this one.

Atanasio Fernández García said...

Very nice painting, Kelly! Also, I love your kitchen window!

Warren Baker said...

A classic portrait of the Goldfinch Kelly, it could of easily been of our Goldfinch, they have similar habits. Very nice work.

Montanagirl said...

Terrific painting! You captured the scene very nicely.

Johnny Nutcase said...

it's awesome, your paintings are always so great! Thumbs up!

Phil Slade said...

That's nnnnice Kelly.

Linda Yarrow said...

Lovely painting.

Chris Petrak said...

Kelly, you capture the impression of these little birds wonderfully - even in drab winter plumage, they are a burst of color - we have lots of juncos, but they look like winter - wish we had some finches with their perpetual hint of spring. And concerning your previous post on robins ... great idea to put out berries - they swoop through and strip the crabapple. Maybe berries would entice them to stay around

ShySongbird said...

Beautifully portrayed Kelly!

Mary said...

I really love your paintings! That is a perfect picture of Goldfinches. Really lovely!

Kathie Brown said...

Kelly, so sweet and pretty! What a lovely feeling this gives me.

Unknown said...

you are doing fantastic with your 100 painting project. Excellent!

Robin said...

Wonderful painting!!!!! You really should do a series of notecards, a calendar, a book --- something with all your bird paintings. I had 15 goldfinches on the thistle feeder the other day. They're always the first for breakfast and the last ones dining in the evening.

Greener Bangalore said...

Lovely Painting Kelly!

MjB said...

I like that you took on a variety of poses and looks among the goldfinch flock. The shapes of the birds change so much as they move around, shift positions, look around, etc.

Take care,
---Mike

Wai Yien said...

simply lovely and the birds are looking very adorable.

Kelly said...

...thank you everyone! I had fun painting this one! All those little goldfinches peeping around pecking at the seeds. They are so sweet...

Gabrielle said...

Wow, Kelly, you took on quite a large project in this painting and it looks great! I agree with that this would make a lovely notecard or something like that.

Andy said...

Wonderful!

RuthieJ said...

That is a wonderful painting Kelly. You are so talented!!