Last year for my older sister Rachel's birthday, I drew this Baltimore oriole using chalk pastels.
Rachel lives in Texas with her husband, Pat, and my two nephews. Pat is from Aberdeen, MD, home of the famed Cal Ripken and Ironbird Stadium. The two of them get homesick for Maryland from time to time, so I thought an oriole was in order. Besides, as birds go, this one is fairly easy for a novice like me. It leaves a bit to be desired in scale; this one's kind of elongated and I got a little "overblendy," but Rachel loved it enough to hang it in their foyer. (I photographed it on my glass deck table, which has embossed leaves. I didn't notice it at first, but when you click to enlarge the photo, you can see the cool effect. Rather than crop it, I'm going to "leave" it alone.)
So, now that I have summertime to sit and enjoy doing art for myself and not for class prep, the question is, "Which bird next?" I have done the American goldfinch and a ruby-throated hummingbird, a bluebird and a sparrow--though hardly perfected a one of them.
What's your favorite bird? Maybe it'll inspire me.
2 comments:
Toby loves cardinals, I love purple martins, and it would be really cool to see your rendering of some sort of bird of prey. Not that we're fussy, or anything...
I love it!! It is such a treat to have an oriole come through and stop at the feeder, but it is not a common bird at the feeder throughout all the year, just certain times. Lovely chaulk pastel, so stop discrediting it! Such a cool effect w./ the table too!
Do you do the matting or have it done!
I love chickadees (phoebes?). They are such sweet little birds; especially their sounds- either a clear whistle "Phoe-be" (Like Yoo-Hoo) or a chittering "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" in winter.
And I love mourning doves and the "who whoo whoo whoo" they say and the sound of the flaps of their wings on take off. You asked and I happen to actually have an opinion on birds. I think I appreciate many types!
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