Red-winged Blackbird Nuptials--Vickie Henderson

This Red-winged blackbird was singing and displaying his red shoulder patches to females in the grasses below him, hoping to attract a mate.  

On this early morning, these nuptial activities were so focused that the displaying males didn't even notice a group of birders who stopped to observe the festivities.  While displaying, the males flap their wings with shoulders forward, ruffle their feathers and make their shoulder patches and their bodies look enormous.  The females respond with companion vocals and feather fluffing.

Watercolor on 6 x 9" 75# tonal pastel paper (pale pumpkin).  To see the progression of this painting, visit "The Fun of Painting a Red-winged Blackbird" at my blog, Vickie Sketchbook.

The Elusive Swainson's Warbler--Vickie Henderson

Sketching a bird seems to always endear it more to me.  Both refining the colors and the bird shapes add more intimacy than I can other wise get with a glance or with photography.

The Swainson's Warbler, a tiny wood warbler that hangs out in dense thickets of rhododendrons, is a difficult bird to find, even if you hear it singing and know where to look.  Their plumage is so subtle, they fade into the shadows.  I don't have the colors just right on the bird yet.  He's a bit too burnt sienna here.  But as I worked out the values while sketching, I learned more about both his color and how to make the negative space help him stand out.  And all the while, I found myself smiling, eager to create him again in a painting.

To see the progression of this sketch visit, The Search for a Swainson's Warbler at Vickie's Sketchbook.

Time Out for Sketching--Vickie Henderson

I've just returned from the New River Birding and Nature Festival in West Virginia, a fun, camp-like and personable way to learn about birds from the experts.  And an equally fun way to meet other people who love nature.

The above sketch is the New River Gorge Bridge, an impressive structure that is unique in the world.  Not only is the ground below it honey-combed with abandoned coal mines, its structure is a single-span arch, the largest in the world.  And below it is the beautiful New River, a place of white water and boulders surrounded by ridges and wood warbler nesting.

No matter how much I wanted to sketch the beauty around me, I did well to survive the rigor of the schedule and take in all that was available to enjoy and learn.  So my sketchbook journey now becomes a way of slowing down my experience, gleaning out my favorite discoveries and enriching my world as I integrate all that I learned on my sketchbook pages.

To see more about this birding adventure, visit my New River Festival Posts at Vickie Henderson Art.
And for more on the challenge of time, visit The Hardest Thing About Sketching is Time at Vickie's Sketchbook.