Painting 114 - Black-bellied Plover on Longboat Key
Watercolor, 12x16
This is the same Black-bellied Plover that was in painting 111, "Black-bellied Plover Digging in the Sand." I was a little more true to color with this plover, though. He was fun to paint...I loved his sweet eye and all the shadows on his fat belly. I'm working on another in this series. It's of the same bird, but he's walking towards us with a head-on view. Hope to have it finished in a few days...
(I gave Rick painting 111 yesterday for Valentine's Day. He was surprised and happy, and it's already in his office at work! Yeah! Rick loves the ocean and ocean birds as much as I do.)
Graphite pencil sketch and study of the Black-bellied Plover in painting 114--the second in the plover series.
...I think I need to get a bigger sketch book. I couldn't fit his tail on the page in this sketch! I sketched this bird over a couple of days while waiting to pick Matty up. I'm finding I look forward to waits now because I always have my sketch book with me. It's so relaxing to be in the car and just sketch (no interruptions...no deadlines...no tasks...just sketching and relaxing). I'm going to miss it when Matty starts to drive!
p.s. On a side note...this morning when I was putting some seed out for the birds, a little male House Finch was serenading the world with "robust vigor" (I know it's hokey, but that's the only way I can describe it!). The song was so beautiful. It's the first I've heard it this year and my goodness it made me stop...and listen...and listen some more. So gorgeous and happy. I CAN'T wait for all of the spring bird song headed our way...and spring flowers too...and summer flowers, and veggies from the garden... For now I'll be content with the little male House Finch's song of spring.
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25 comments:
Such beautiful work and a wonderful Valentine gift. It's so good to give and receive something personally made with love.
Beautiful, as usual.
After they start driving you still wait.....for them to get home (safely).
Superb as usually Kelly... So is the weather bad and you cannot go out to take pictures!
Lois...thank you! Rick loved it...that made me happy.
Janice...thank you. Oh boy...I don't even want to think of that. Lucky for me Matty's in no hurry to drive.
Chris...thanks! The weather has been so cold and dark...and gray...although we had a lovely Sunday and the temps are starting to rise (with more sunshine too), but I'm sticking to my 2 paintings a week so I don't fall behind in the challenge like I did last year! It was hard to catch back up. I am also missing the warmth of summer and the shorebirds are calling to me. I hope to get to the beach either this spring or summer to see them again. Plus....I've been working like crazy to get my house organized...and my studio. I've totally reclaimed my studio and that took some time. I should probably do a post on my studio....
I love these guys - when they fly you can see that they have "black armpits," which makes them easy to identify even in winter plumage.
Hi Kelly..I love how you painted there eyes... so real looking....very nice one ...as usual.
Snow has melted some here, temp dipped low last night, but the sun is strong this time of year!!
Beautiful, Kelly and Rick's a lucky man—in more ways than one!
Kelly, that painting is so beautiful!
Hi Kelly. Thanks to you I've been staring directly at a printed copy above my work station for many hours... so true to life.
The birdsong is getting underway over here and already signs of pairing up.
Hi Rebecca...I love it when the field marks are so vivid! You're so lucky you've moved to the ocean. I'm jealous!
Grammie...thank you! The snow has melted here too, but it's still on the cool side. I'm starting to get tired of the cold. I can probably handle one more snow...but then, I really want to see some flowers!!
Laure...thank you!!! I'll have to make sure he reads your comment (in case he's forgotten!! haha) :-D
Thank you, Mona!! :-)
Frank...thank you!! I have one more in the series planned. It's going to be a fun view...head-on views always crack me up.
Mega!
Oh Kelly - you are just painting so amazingly well! Yes, I too love to sketch and wait! I had a little bird visit this morning.. it hit the window and the cats were "twitching' inside the house ... looking outside. The bird was stunned and did fly away eventually. But how fun to watch it up close, see it breathing, blinking it's eyelids. Such a soft head and belly - so cute. I can see how you get "addicted"! :)
Exquisite painting, exquisite sketch, Kelly!
Aboslutely, positively gorgeous! I can tell you have put your heart into this painting. You are so talented! All the practice is certainly paying off!
Oh I have heard the male house finches also ..... and the song sparrows too. What a joy it is to hear them. Looks like there is some "pairing up" going on already.
Your painting is AWESOME! You blow me away with your talent.
Stunning!
Wonderful work. I'm quite a novice birder anymore and perhaps living in the only county in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes without a lake is a weak excuse but identifying shore birds, especially little ones is about impossible for me. I bet I missed about ten "lifers" at Ding Darling two weeks ago. ok ok I'm gonna study your paintings they seem more real to me than all I see in the field guides.....
This is super. I thought he looked real, like in a photo but softer, at first. Way too neat.
Very nice!! Love the capture of expression - he looks like a dude on a mission!
Beautiful picture!!!
Lovely pair with the last one. You'll have a triptych for Rick's office when you get the next one done! Keep up the good work! And, yes, do a post on your studio.
Monday morning when I went out to photograph the sunrise, my bluebirds were doing the same thing. REALLY warbling loudly! It was so glorious to hear!
Thanks, Fleetwood!!
Margaret...thank you! So glad the little thing recovered. I now what you mean about seeing them up close. It's amazing.
Thank you, Hilke!!
Kerri...thank you! I heard more song today!! Yeah!
Dawn...thank you!!
Trout...I'm weak with shore birds too. I have to study the guides and compare...and forget it when it comes to all the gulls! I know the basic three... Thank you!!
Timaree...thank you!! I was totally in love with him as I painted him! Maybe that's where the softness comes from...
Nicole...thank you! He was on a mission...haha! To eat as many things in the sand as possible. Busy, busy was he!
Thanks, Gail!
Elaine...Rick said the same thing! Thanks!!
Jayne...you're so lucky you have Bluebirds singing in your backyard!!!
Knowing that this is a sketch I'm just awed at how vivid and life-like the eye of this bird appears to be!
Such a cute little fluff ball,
Nice work
...thank you, Peg! I enjoyed painting the eye...
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