Spring is here and I am yearning for summer and plein air painting. I usually work on miniatures then and I think working on them now in my studio brings those days alive for me. Here is the first in a little heron series I am doing. My challenge is to paint several with this subject in different ways, all in miniature of course.
The Great Blue Heron 4 x 3
The herons are back in town in great
numbers and nesting everywhere. This
beauty was out on the sand near Tsawwassen; a great place by the way to see
them. There is a very large heronry, I
mean large, over 400 nests at the east end of the causeway out to the ferry
dock (Hwy 17). If you look in the large firs on
the bank on the south side you will see them.
In a few weeks those giant trees will be white from the all the
excrement from the nests and the air will be filled with all the baby
talk!! It is really something to
see. Right now there is one eagle’s nest
in the middle, apparently he drives away other eagles and protects the heronry
but they pay a price for that
protection. One eagle in hand is better
than many in flight!
9 comments:
Wonderful little painting. We get a lot of Herons around here as well, they are a beautiful bird.
Amazing painting. You show such great skill at capturing the light hitting the feathers.
I enjoyed visiting your blog.
Thank you for visiting mine.
Great painting of the Heron. I look forward to seeing more in your series of these birds.
To give you a giggle...I went to Heron Island when I lived in Queensland. I wanted a photo so quietly followed the Heron into the bushes into the sand dunes... wow I saw a little more than the Heron.
A couple lay naked...wouldn't have got a piece of paper between them.
I tiptoed away ...not sure if they saw me. LOL.
What a lovely small painting - all that detail in 4 x 3 in.!Every time I pass the parking lot on King George off 99, on my way to work, I wish I could pull in for a walk and some sketching in the bird sanctuary. [sigh - soon]
These birds are so beautiful,looking forward to the next one
HI Krista and Julie, the herons are great and yes, the bits of long skinny feathers are fun to protray. They seem to give them so much character.
Dors, I love your story. I know when I have been sneaking around with my camera I have seen some sights but yours beat all of mine!!
HI Kathryn, yes the birds are great along King George there but also if you spend some time at Riefel Bird Sanctuary you will get great sketching material and photos. They are very use to people there and will let you get fairly close.
Thanks Brenda I have the next one nearly done and the 3rd sketched out. Hope to be ready with one soon. How can it be such a busy time of year??
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