Busy times at the shed!
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| There were nine males when I did the sketch, but ELEVEN by the time everyone had showed up for dinner...plus 5 or 6 females. |
I don't remember EVER seeing this many cardinals all in one place before...the males are quite territorial, but it's winter and we offer them lots of feeding options and different stations around the yard. I'm entranced by the bright colors and the interaction between them, and find myself sketching them again and again.
These are all graphite-free, no preliminary sketching, just hurrying to get it down--the male above isn't all that successful, but it WAS a challenge. I was trying out the new Stillman & Birn Epsilon journal on the bottom two images...it's very smooth paper meant for writing, but I love the puddly effect of watercolors on smooth paper.
Love this, Cathy. We frequently have a dozen males and half as many females in the tree just off the screened porch in the winter time.
ReplyDeleteI should really try to do some watercolor sketches like you do. My first instinct is to grab the camera instead of a sketchbook. I need to reprogram myself, ha ha.
xoxo
so beautiful...
ReplyDeleteMy New Year's resolution is to draw more. Thank you for reminding me with such lovely painted birds
ReplyDeleteThank you, all!
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful Kate! Are the browner ones the females...?
ReplyDeletelovely work Kate!!
ReplyDeleteYour colors are amazing! I'm sure the birds would approve.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowing Cardinal sketches
ReplyDelete