Rickys Caricature Bird Friends

Caricature Birds_edited-1
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

We all have dumb friends and these are some of mine. I found these youngsters in the woods this morning. Flying and looking good just wasn't there best suit YET! All I had was folded paper in my pocket to draw on so that's the reason for the cartoons.
No great lessons here except that fun stage of life we all go through....every creature of God's, one time in our life. They were so loud also.....no manners yet.

Taos Rhododendron 1

Taos Rhododendron 1
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

This is one of the sketches I did while on an art trip to my old painting area Taos, New Mexico. The colors always overwhelm me when I go back. The forest and flowers etc are just crazy there. Everyone is probably familiar with these flowers because they grow all over the world basically. I love them with their big bloomy selfs and different greens that cascade from them. I didn't do it justice but I enjoyed it. Done in my little Moleskine in watercolor.
These can grow to 6 feet high over a decade time span. Enjoy

White ibis

Ibise Bird
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

I love these guys and when I lived in New Orleans I could go out and see them all the time. Roosting in trees with mossy growth and other things or in the wet mud areas. They were a super sight. You could draw and paint forever. They hunt like nothing I've ever seen. Beautiful white with big red beaks and legs.....kinda like me..hahaha!
Watercolor and casein on crescent and approximately 7 X 12". Another one of those odd pieces I'm trying to use up. Enjoy.

Red Panda

Red Panda
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

This is the cousin to the GIANT PANDA, big and black and white. The Red Panda is always confused with the Fox or Raccoon family but it's not either. He travels the same bamboo forest as his cousin. You'll find him in the Himalayas and two provinces in China. The zoo is where I find them since I don't go to the Himalayas on a frequent basis. Hopefully this quick ink pen and watercolor sketch will deliver a nice painting some day. Enjoy...Addios
Ricky

American Goldfinch

Yes I was doing my plein aire painting and kept looking at this tree....."did someone put christmas ornaments on the tree?" No, as my eyes got adjusted it was a whole HERD OF AMERICAN GOLDFINCH! I had never seen that many in my life. What a blessing that was....all I could do was stare and get my binoculars out. Thank GOD the sun wasn't playing tricks on my old eyes. This is a watercolor approximately 12" X 18"...140 pound cold press paper. Enjoy.
They looked like big lemon drops in that evergreen....strange but beautiful. I'm guessing the black on their wings were really defining them. Thank God for nature and birds. What a nice healing experience. I know everyone would prefer a portrait of the Goldfinch but that's not the way I saw it. God Bless

Ms Azelea

Here she lay on my studio table. I had forgotten about her for a few days. The other day I painted her with all the energy and bravado Ms Azelea was showing. How glorious I remember her being. But now the colors were all muted, dry leaves, and flat, all folded upon herself like some prom dress thrown on the floor. Yes now all the energy was replaced with an air of regalness and some type of majesty. Even now in the throws of of death she still was sharing with me and deserved another painting. I wish I could have done her justice. No hard line used this time, just watercolor and devoid of any volume like before, only flatness or some decorative quality.
It makes me think, while I was painting, is life counted by the hours we are on this planet? Or could it be by the length of time you are remembered through the years or centuries. If this was case it would be me and Ms Azelea sharing timelessness through this watercolor and possible blog. I think I like the later........I choose life.
This was in a moleskine book approx 6" by 8". Enjoy

Missouri River

It was so nice out today I couldn't believe it was me in it.........thank you GOD. This is a scene of the Missouri River. Not a reporting of the river but more of the sense I had of it today. Gorgeous with spring coming on. I was so lucky to see a Baltimore Oriole and a Northern Flicker.......so exquisite. The colors were breath taking. SO , when I got back I went to Wally World and bought myself a pair of binoculars. Can't wait to see that chipmunk that Vickie posted........hahahha. Hope you enjoy the scenery here. Watercolor in a moleskine...Ricky

Meet the Correspondents: Karen Winters

Hello, everyone. I'm a California landscape painter who is also a passionate sketchbook keeper. I do a lot of plein air and studio landscape painting, and my sketchbook is an invaluable tool in understanding nature's beautiful mysteries and complexities. Because time is so short when doing a painting on location, it helps to have an intimate understanding of how certain species of trees are put together, how reeds grow in a marsh or even how rocks look under different light conditions.



To start things off, above is a recent page from my Aquabee sketchbook. I like the paper because it's heavy enough to use some light washes without bleeding through the other side of the paper. This page is a study of a granitic rock cluster in the foothills of the Sierras, where we visited this spring. Rocks are often difficult to paint without them looking like piles of potatoes, so I did this study to explore the facets of the broken pieces, and to observe the reflected light in the shadows. When I'm making paintings I paint either in oil, watercolor or pastel. But in my sketchbook I primarily made studies in watercolor and/or gouache, so that's what I'll usually be posting here. I paint every day and post my paintings on my blog, A Creative Journey, if you want to see where some of the studies lead.