So common and so uncommon, birds have always fascinated people. Since we could draw, write and read, we have been watching them and recording our connections with these feathered creatures. They are on cave walls and canvas, papyrus and iPad apps. All through history they have perched on our religion, superstition, art and poetry. It is clear then that birds remain very important to us. Above all other creatures we envy these winged wonders the most: it remains our dream to swoop like a swallow and soar like an eagle. 

From Beginning to End We are Nothing without Birds!
When we grew up we flew the coop. We spread our wings and our parents had to watch us like a hawk and warned us not to be birdbrains because there would be vultures out there. We preened, and swanned around all pigeon-toed, hoping not to look like turkeys amongst our friends. Birds of a feather flock together and some of us became lovebirds. It just took a peck on the cheek and the bluebird of happiness was on our shoulder. Our hearts were all aflutter and we became night owls. Hopefully we had learned about the birds and the bees... Soon after, we feathered our nests, the stork came to visit and we were feeling less cocky, having to get up every day at sparrow’s fart when the baby squawked.  What a lark! You may think it all sounds a bit cock-eyed and wish I'd quit this chirping. You're thinking I'm crazy as a loon, yes, because if it quacks like a duck... I know! But you will be cuckoo if you keep your head in the sand over the fact that birds play a huge part in our lives. It's not all feathers. Admit it now because you don’t want to be eating crow. You see, time will fly, and before we know it we will no longer be spring chickens but old ducks. Hopefully though by then we will be wise as owls and we wouldn't need to just wing it anymore. The day will come when we will sing our swan song. The ravens will come and the mourning doves will sing. This needn't ruffle your feathers though, because then, with any luck you might be able to actually fly with the angels...Just like a bird! As Emily Dickinson says, " Hope is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul "...

My Eye is on the Sparrow
I feel so lucky. We have a collection of bird feeders strung up high with pulleys in the branches of a brush oak tree in perfect view outside the bedroom window. Every morning we open the curtains and sit in bed with our coffee, watching the little winged things peck at their breakfast. We greet the day with old friends - the blue jays, woodpeckers and nuthatches that have wintered over, surviving the frigid -35 degree C days. Others are just passing through - migrants like the Harris sparrows, juncos and redpolls. I know spring has arrived when the goldfinches and orioles sprinkle flecks of yellow and orange confetti in the barely budding branches. The thrashers sing like the dickens and the robins are very busy with their nest-building. I shrug as the sparrows dig in the mulch on the flower beds, spilling wood chips onto the grass.  And then the tiny hummingbirds arrive and sip intently behind the glass, oblivious of me just a foot away. The bird book and binoculars live on the bedside table. The camera stands alert - semi-permanently on the tripod, aimed at the twittering targets. I've written previously about hunting for beauty, and this is exactly what I mean. I'm always on the prowl for that pretty thing!  
Before I fill my own bowl with Fibre 1 and greek yoghurt I have already scooped out black-oil sunflower seed and cracked corn, pressed suet into the cedar holder using the handle of the Pampered Chef ice-cream scoop (the perfect size), cut orange halves, and soaked dried meal worms in water....for the birds! Throughout the day I spend many joyfully absorbed moments keeping an eye on who is coming and going like little jets landing, refuelling and taking off. I watch them hop, never still, cock their heads, crack open the seeds and interact with one another. And just then, nothing else matters.

Painting my Pretties!
The bird watching spills over into the studio, because with their fluffy, coloured loveliness they  are endless inspiration and perfect little watercolour subjects. Here's a breakdown of how this Rose-Breasted Grosbeak came together...  click here to download the page for a closer look. 

Beautiful Music
The perfect soundtrack to a day of painting these lovely birds this compilation of classical piano pieces that truly lives up to it's title: The Most Relaxing Piano Album in the World - Ever! Its a double album, and well worth the investment. I've had it for many years and it remains right up there with my favorites. Click the album to sample the goods.

Thanks for stopping by! If you like what you see here and don't want to miss future posts, why don't you follow my blog? 
Cheers,

I sometimes get asked, "why do you paint cutlery?'" and my answer is simply - "I love it!  The concave and convex of spoons, the shadows cast by the tines of a fork, the patterns and floral designs on the handles, the patina and wear seen in old pieces and of course, the shine and the reflections! In a grouping the pieces form interesting negative shapes and fascinating shadows. But the most exciting challenge for me is making them look 'silver'. The bad news: If you're wanting to use 'ordinary' colours on your watercolour palette to mix a silver that is shiny and reflects, you can't. You can't really even use a metallic pigment to cheat your way to the silver look.  My feeling is it would still look quite dull and lifeless. 

So how does one go about painting a silver object? Mix black and white? Not exactly. Think of what colours you would start with to paint a mirror, because that's pretty much what you are doing. Someone commented on painting a mirror:  "I once set up a full length mirror next to my easel to try that. I was beside myself." 
The question might be better asked (and thus in the question is the answer), "How do I paint reflections?"
because that is what silver is. Whatever the surrounding environment is, there lies the clue to what will be observed in the object...really...that simple, and yet...that challenging. There is no magic answer in a particular mix of paints because it is always dependent on other elements. It's all about light and reflections. The answer is really to look closely, and paint the shapes and colours you see. 

I'm not alone in this madness. The fascination for painting silverware has existed for centuries and can be seen particularly in many of the 17th century Dutch painters' works. Here is Willem Claesz Heda's "Ham & Silverware" - 1649.

It's like a silver piece has its own moods and expressions, and how it behaves depends on what surrounds it. Interpreting these things is a delight for me, and is an excellent example of finding beauty in simple things! 

Besides, I am essentially a homemaker living a simple life in the country, and I am often in the kitchen surrounded by dishes. There should be no wondering. So I think this answers why in the world I paint my flatware, and all that's left to do is to encourage you also to go ahead and play with your spoon!
Cheers,

Here are the two little 'Bananas in Pyjamas' as I like to think of them. Harold and Maude hail from Vancouver and are seen here showing off some of their winter finery. They are siblings and are both adoptees from a dachshund rescue facility. Their Mum, Jen, describes them like this : "Harold (the curly one on the left) is friendly and loves people but not a huge cuddler. Maude (on the right) is princess sassy pants and picks fights with everyone...but is a dream little cuddler that burrows anywhere she can. She has been known to look across the street from our apartment and growl at the innocent people waiting for the bus...little spaz! Out waking they just to push each other off the sidewalk which is very comical given that they are half a dog high and a dog and a half long!" 
They sound like cute little characters, well deserving of being immortalized by watercolour portraiture.

The Process
The process of painting these two little scallywags is pretty much how I approach all the dog portraits. A bare minimum pencil sketch guiding me to the important placement of features and details is the start. I then pick a few colours that stand out for me and wash them in to begin giving the dogs some form. These base layers are often completely covered by subsequent layers, of which there are many. Then it's a case of building colour and shades with a number of washes of paint, usually drying between each. sometimes the paint is wet-in-wet, and sometimes wet  on dry paper. I always try to have a combination of hard and soft edges. Losing an edge into the background or into another shape softens the overall look. The most detail is given to the eyes and nose where the real life and character shine through. The background shades and drips come in at any point, some near the beginning and some at the end. They're actually quite important in the painting because I use them  for overall balance of colours and activity. They also help draw the viewer's eye all around the picture and I think makes it a bit more exciting and lively. 

'Every Dog  has it's Day', and these two have now had theirs. That was fun.
Now to hunt for the next beauties.

Cheers,

Some people are writers, some are musicians and some are speakers and thinkers. Yet others are carpenters or architects, or are born helpers. We all have a unique force that drives us, with our own way of channeling our expression.
I am a painter. How do I know that? It's not as simple as it sounds with an answer like "because that's what you do, silly." I would hate to think that we can be defined simply by what we do. The actual painting is just the evidence that we have painted, not that we are painters. But the way we see things and the desire to express ourselves in a certain way can be more of a clue. I think it's because it's the first thing I want to do when I see something cast in a beautiful light, glowing in a certain way, or a fascinating shape with interesting colours. What immediately comes into my head is "I want to paint that!" It could be something in nature, a flower in a vase, a spoon, a face, or even my food! Light and shadow can make anything extraordinary. Sometimes I'm watching a movie and I want to press pause and paint that scene! (the ending is secondary!) There's that desire to process the vision by taking it apart in my mind and putting it together again on paper - in my case, using watercolour paint. Kehinde Wiley, New York artist, recently explained in an interview that looking for his next subject is like being in a state of heightened awareness, literally walking through the street and 'hunting for beauty'. He walks through the world seeing it through a rubric of how to recapture it and re-tell it. Many times for me too, this is a deliberate search, like putting on my painter's goggles and seeing what inspires me. But the best, and more telling moments are when it happens by surprise. It's when the state of heightened awareness has become normal, and when faced with that lovely thing, I am imagining right away how I am going to paint it. 

Here's a little quiz to help find out what drives YOU!
You are walking in a mall and the display in a shop window (Godiva) lit with a spotlight is a shiny silver pedestal tray with a plump, blushing strawberry dipped in chocolate making a perfect reflection on the metallic surface. Your first thought is:

A) I want to buy that for someone special
B) I want to eat that
C) There's dust on that tray, and is that a worm I see in the strawberry?
D) I want to paint that

I know what I would choose! That's how I can call myself a painter. What are you?

'Till next time,