Spring Mornings
I love going outside on spring mornings to discover what birds have migrated north overnight. Every day brings new species and new songs to the woods and fields around us. Tree swallows came back a few weeks ago and I always love seeing their flash of blue and hearing their twittering song as they fly overhead. They typically hang out for a week or two before settling down to nest in one of our bird boxes. The rose-breasted grosbeak, on the other hand, just passes through. A single male spent only one day in our yard. Lucky for me, I was working from home that day and enjoyed watching it at our feeder before it moved on.
Tips and Techniques– I’d like to paint all of the migratory birds that pass through or nest here, but there’s no way to manage it while working full-time. Still, I like considering a series like this and these two paintings reflect some experimentation with a style that might work to keep the focus on the bird while not fussing with much background. If you’ve ever done a series, I’d like to know what subject you chose and how you considered developing a consistent thread that unites the pieces. Next on my bird list are the yellow warbler, prairie warbler, and common yellowthroat, but I need to get going before everything is fully leafed out and I can’t find them!
Drawn In 
I love these!
Thank you!
Lovely; we have Green Pigeons here during the spring which I spotted. There are also Kingfishers around but while I’ve been hearing them, haven’t seen one yet this year.
Interesting…where are you located?
North India–just outside Delhi!
Ah…thanks!
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I hope you do find time to work on this migratory bird series! I love creating art in series and described my process for 5 of my series, and parameters I set up for each, in my blog post https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/how-i-create-art-in-series
Hi Paula- Thanks for sharing your blog link. I really enjoyed reading it and seeing your artwork series. You gave me a lot to think about in terms of different ways to define parameters to create a cohesive series. Much appreciated!
As always, I love your work. I’ve not attempted a series. I do like to do compare and contrast. The Nighthawks have returned to North Central Texas. I’ve heard them in the night sky since I was a girl, but last night I actually got to see one!
Good for you! I don’t see them often, but I have seen them a few times. They have such a distinctive flight and interesting life habits.
This will be a beautiful series… even if you don’t add another bird! I know what you mean about the emerging spring foliage – it’s getting more and more difficult to find the birds amongst the greenery. That’s an advantage paintings have over photos, I think!
I had a great look at a common yellowthroat this morning, but tried in vein to find the prairie warbler, despite its singing. There is a short window to easily spot birds and it is closing fast!
So lovely, as always…
Thanks Christopher.
Love your quick studies and accompanying background info. But….do you take pictures then paint from your photos or paint from memory of a bird who flashes by? Can’t be! I know, you know, through experience, the framework? body build, color and details of the birds who pass through your yard and feeders. But…tell me how you go from your sightings to your exquisite paintings…..please. Thank you…..bernadette
Hi Bernadette- The answer is YES, all of that. I watch birds to study their behavior and appearance, take photos when I can, sketch in the field and from photos and videos, and also gather reference photos to work from when doing a painting. Sometimes I combine several of those things together to create a painting and sometimes, I just work from a single photo or field sketch. Over time, I have gotten better at quick sketches and filling in details from memory and studies of bird anatomy and feather topography. Behind every decent painting there are sketches and practice birds. All that adds up over time. Hope that helps answer your question. — Jean
Jean, I like your series idea … focus on the bird. I tend to get lost in capturing too many details. Enjoy the delights who visit your view and then move on with their Summer journey. Hummingbird Anna’s stay in my garden year round, and I delight in the migratory visitors, tiny Rufous hummingbirds.
I haven’t put up a hummingbird feeder yet, but I need too! I haven’t seen one yet, but I know they are back and around. Enjoy seeing yours!
Love it
I love seeing all of your paintings. WE have just started to see red breasted grosbeaks here in Ohio and yesterday my hummingbirds arrived. So glad I had my feeders out and ready for them. WE also have Orioles, I love when they are here.I have found that the ones who come here love blackberries and jam and also Cara Cara oranges the best! They have good taste. And we were graced with four young squirrels today near the feeders, eating off the ground! They are so cute to watch as they are so playful with each other. The chipmunks are fun too , they are very daring and NOT afraid of heights. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your talents with us, you inspire me to draw and paint my world around me!!! Thank you.
Thanks so much for your note! It sounds like you have some great subjects for drawing and painting! I’m happy to provide a bit of inspiration. Thanks for sharing!
Oh how I envy you your Grosbeak! The painting has just enough looseness to suggest the flash of exciting color they bring to the landscape every spring, so extravagant. When we lived on Staten Island, a male would often sing from a huge old maple that was below us (we were on the 5th floor). Such a sweet song. But we have Black-headed grosbeaks here so we can’t complain – and they stay all summer! What a thrill that first glimpse and murmured song is! Thanks for these, Jean, they both express the joy of spring migrants and burgeoning color. 🙂