[solitaryVSong]

Thanks Ed, John. Sad to say the Nashville seems to have moved on. But we were happy, and shocked, to see him while he was here. Saw our first Tree Swallows of spring today so spring is definitely on its way.

I wish I could say the accompanying sketches were from life but they're not. I decided I wanted to try a drawing that captured the shape of the Nashville and had some good photos so that led to this. Then I decided I wanted to work on the bills and overall shapes of some other warblers. So that led to the Prothonotary Warblers on left sheet.

[solitaryVSong]

First snowy squeal of spring - a 9x12 watercolor based on the first Wood Ducks of spring. In a light flurry of snow, with the female deciding to sample a falling snow flake. I would have missed them if it hadn't been for their telltale squeal.

The Wood Ducks I saw today. Yesterday it was the first Killdeer pair of the year though I had seen one lone one a month or so ago.

[Bigshent]

Some great sketching love the bottom right warbler. The Wood Duck piece is great and what elegant ducks they are

[solitaryVSong]

Originally Posted by Bigshent

The Wood Duck piece is great and what elegant ducks they are

Thanks. I am happy with this painting, much more so than with my more detailed Wood Ducks of a few years ago. They're so elegant you think that they must be a fake of some sort.

Along with first of year wood ducks I've seen a lot of other first of year birds recently and am enclosing some pictures of them, all done for an upcoming demonstration I'll give on Stillman and Birn sketchbooks. FOY birds are Eastern Phoebe with Great Blue Heron in Background, Pileated Woodpecker, Mourning Cloak butterfly(FOY) with Brown Creeper and Carolina Wren.

And then some non first of year birds from photos: Great Egret Piping Plovers and Blue Grosbeak. Almost all of them use Caran d'Ache Neocolor II water soluble crayons. Some have a touch of white gouache and you can imagine why that is.

[solitaryVSong]

Ran over the limit on my photo upload so here's the Blue Grosbeak as well as a Northern Waterthrush I forgot to mention.

[Lykos]

beautiful,always beautiful

[JTMB]

Nice to catch up on your work, Ken! I think my favorite of the latest ones is the juxtaposition of the two birds and butterfly.

[ed keeble]

[quote=solitaryVSong;2697152] Cloak butterfly(FOY) with Brown Creeper


that is a little classic of your kind with bold division by the dark tree

it's odd to look at the butterfly as a Mourning Cloak when over here the same species (I think it is) operates with a differently evocative name : Camberwell Beauty - and so your picture of beautiful has that extra tingle of rarity when viewed from here

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks John, Ed. Your remark about Camberwell Beauty got me checking Ed and I found that you are indeed correct and that also according to Wikipedia it has the older names of Grand Surprise and White Petticoat.

Always nice to learn things like that!!

[Bigshent]

Those soluble crayons certainly suit your style Ken

[solitaryVSong]

Originally Posted by Bigshent

Those soluble crayons certainly suit your style Ken

Thanks Paul, and Gaby, who I forgot earlier.

Yesterday I was happy to see what I believe was a mink flush a first of year Louisiana Waterthrush. Nearby two Wood Ducks were high in a sycamore, I assume having found a place to nest there.

I received some new Stillman and Birn sketchbooks today for a demontration I'm giving soon and I decided that a vertical doublespread might be just the thing for testing out this composition. Not a finished painting by any means but perfect for working out ideas for future paintings or prints.

[solitaryVSong]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!! I've been telling myself that it's time to stop this thread for awhile now and am always looking for the right numerical milestone, i.e. 100,000 views or some such thing.

Yesterday I thought maybe I ought to end with 125,000 and I thought I would. Then a bunch of new views snuck in and brought it over 125,000. Still it seems like a good number to set as The End, even if I'm a bit over.

It's almost four years since I started here and I can't tell you how exciting it was to see such excellent and often quite prolific work all in styles that made wildlife art seem alive! As I said in my first post I came with a real bias against what I found to be so much dull wildlife art. This forum was a lifesaver and an inspiration.

Of course FB calls to so many, just not to me. So I'm not sure what I'll do for my online outlet - continue my blog I'm sure and perhaps start another thread here if I can think of some new angle on it. I know it will be hard not to start a new one tomorrow. But I'll persevere for a bit anyway. Thanks to all who have visited the thread and been so appreciative. I'm sure I'll be around to comment on your own works.

In any case here's my parting work for this thread, a touched up version of yesterday's Mink, Louisiana Waterthrush and Wood Duck and a new one, using Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons again of a Wood Thrush in Hercules Club. Hope you enjoy it. It seems indicative of spring though in fact those berries don't appear until September or so.

[ed keeble]

it's been a privilege to see you settle into away of doing your wildlife art over the last few years

and great exit show on this thread with the Wood Thrush and twinned spots of bird and berry

its an oddity that in the whirl of online there's no one channel that seems quite to work for artists (websites too formal, blog formats seem not quite popular enough, facebook too chatty etc.) - I for one will be continue to look out for your blog on the morning feed..

[Bigshent]

Originally Posted by solitaryVSong

Whoa, whoa, whoa!! I've been telling myself that it's time to stop this thread for awhile now and am always looking for the right numerical milestone, i.e. 100,000 views or some such thing.

Yesterday I thought maybe I ought to end with 125,000 and I thought I would. Then a bunch of new views snuck in and brought it over 125,000. Still it seems like a good number to set as The End, even if I'm a bit over.

It's almost four years since I started here and I can't tell you how exciting it was to see such excellent and often quite prolific work all in styles that made wildlife art seem alive! As I said in my first post I came with a real bias against what I found to be so much dull wildlife art. This forum was a lifesaver and an inspiration.

Of course FB calls to so many, just not to me. So I'm not sure what I'll do for my online outlet - continue my blog I'm sure and perhaps start another thread here if I can think of some new angle on it. I know it will be hard not to start a new one tomorrow. But I'll persevere for a bit anyway. Thanks to all who have visited the thread and been so appreciative. I'm sure I'll be around to comment on your own works.

In any case here's my parting work for this thread, a touched up version of yesterday's Mink, Louisiana Waterthrush and Wood Duck and a new one, using Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons again of a Wood Thrush in Hercules Club. Hope you enjoy it. It seems indicative of spring though in fact those berries don't appear until September or so.

]

You had better start a new thread fella. Although I wish I hadn't started a new one and carried on with the old. Thats even with my first paintings looking like my dog had done them so Be aware

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks Ed, Paul. We'll see what happens with a new thread. I just felt that this one had run its course, though for me it has been an incredibly valuable course. This part of the forum gave me just what I needed just when I needed it - vibrant wildlife art and support for my own beginning efforts just when I thought there was no such thing as vibrant wildlife art or support for what I did. And plenty of good humor and cheer along the way as well!

My guess is that when I get to a new plateau, if I get to a new plateau, with my art I'll start something new.

And of course it's been a pleasure to watch the progress of your work as well as those of other members. Keep your threads lively please!!

[Lykos]

what can I say.....

I'll wait here ... are you're back

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Hi Ken,
Your choice, as long as you allow us to continue the journey with you.

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks Arthur, Gaby. Just waiting for the spirit to hit me with an idea for a new thread. Hope to keep seeing more of your new work.

[JTMB]

Hope to see you back, Ken. I've certainly greatly enjoyed your work!