Purple Finch

Purple Finch
8" x 8" oil on stretched canvas
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$195.00 + $10. s/h

This little Purple Finch was on the tree right off of our deck.  We feed the birds in the winter.  There are dozens of birds waiting around for fresh bread crumbs (we buy day old bread at the grocery store and break apart 2 pieces every day) and/or bird seed.  The last few days have been pretty cold and snowy (so we splurged and put out extra bread crumbs!)

My dad was a semi-professional ornithologist.  He kept his life bird list.  As kids, when we went hiking in the woods we would carry paper attached to a board with a string tied to it so that we could record the birds that we saw.  I thought all children walked through the woods that way.....little did I know!  My mother-in-law also loved nature and birds.  She passed that love onto my husband who can not only identify almost every bird we ever see, but can also identify birds by there call, and can mimic bird calls.  I guess we all have our secret talents!  Anyway, all of the family bird history led to us feeding the birds, which led to me painting this little guy.

This winter we're going on several exotic bird trips.  I'll write about those in the future.  And post my thoughts and (hopefully) paintings for you to see.

Alaskan Eagles

Alaskan Eagles - Alaskan plein air #8/14
9" x 12"  oil on canvas on board
$195.00 + $10. s/h

I've mentioned the challenges of plein air painting and the challenges of plein air painting on a boat:  changing light, strong glare, reflections on the water, boat movement.  Don't worry, there are more!  The tide!  And how quickly it comes in and goes out!

When I started this piece the eagles were happily landing,

posing for me,

then taking off.

I soon noticed that the tide was coming in, and my rocks were getting smaller

and smaller,

and smaller!  It's a good thing that I was about done!

The other day I wondered why the writing next to one of the pictures was off.  Today I'm wondering why the first group of 4 photos is bracketed together, how that happened, and how do I undo this!?  Any thoughts?

Majestic Migration

In Flight
6" x 6" oil on panel
$100.00  $10. s/h

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Last month my husband and I went to Monte Vista, Colorado, in the southern part of the state, to see the sandhill crane migration.  During the month of March 20 - 25,000 cranes migrate through, and spend a good part of the month loading up on fuel in preparation for the continuation of the flight north.   At any given time there are about 10,000 - 11,000 greater sandhill cranes at the Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge.

They say that the cranes have been stopping off in the the San Luis Valley for millions of years.  On a cliff southwest of Monte Vista is a well protected six foot petroglyph of a crane.  This tells us that even 2,000 years ago man was anticipating the annual return of the sandhill cranes.