BIRDTOBER 2024

I finally finished the BIRDTOBER bird art challenge!  BIRDTOBER is an art challenge hosted by @kaylafiskbirds in which artists draw a bird from a list of prompts every day in October.

 

After failing to complete the challenge the past two years I was determined to finish this year.  I decided to do very small ink and watercolor sketches this time.  The size and medium helped me from getting bored as it allowed me to do several at a time, quickly and easily, and I actually enjoyed the process of choosing the species, sketching, inking, then painting all 31.

 

 

THIS YEAR'S PROMPTS

1. Hooked bill
2. Forest dweller
3. Ooo shiny!
4. Red
5. Warbler
6. Adorable
7. Backyard bird

8. Corvid crew

9. Marsh

10. Vagrant

11. Flycatcher

12. Nest

13. Grasslands/prairie

14. Swifts and swallows

15. One word name

16. Eyering

17. Fruit-eater

18. Long-distance migrant

19. Starts with the letter B

20. Elegant

21. Introduced species

22. Beach-bum

23. Grouse/quail

24. Common

25. Precocial

26. Conservation success story

27. Flock

28. Nocturnal

29. Water-lover

30. Secretive

31. Black-and-orange

2024 Trekell Pet Portrait Competition - Second entry

 This is my final entry for the 2024 Trekell Pet Portrait Competition.  I painted my late Boston Terrier, Sissy, chasing a butterfly among the wildflowers.  I have many photos of her trying to catch flying insects and she looked as though she were dancing.

 

Eastern Towhee in colored pencil

Getting back into colored pencils this week to test some new art supplies.  I drew this Eastern Towhee on Bristol vellum paper.  This is the first time I've used this paper and I can say it gets my seal of approval!  I already have ideas for more drawings I'd like to use it for.

2024 Trekell Pet Portrait Competition - First entry

It's time once again for Trekell's Annual Pet Portrait Competition and here is my first entry!  This competition requires artists to use a special shaped birch panel as the support and this time Trekell didn't make it easy!  After a lot of time searching through my photos and editing several of them, I found that my sheep, Muffin's, head fit nicely in this flower-like shape and decided to add a couple chicks on her head to fill the space at the top. 😁

Two painterly pet portraits

 Here are two separate commissioned pieces I finished in the last month.  The adorable little chicken is Blanche and her portrait is the fourth in my painterly chicken portrait series which I have now posted HERE.  Bandit the Husky's portrait was a birthday gift for his owner.  Both are done in acrylics on cotton paper.

 

From the Sketchbook - Painting of two horses

 It's been a while since I've painted a horse!  I just finished this acrylic over watercolor study of two - a mare and her foal.  Thanks to Jonathan Troyer for the reference photo.  The mare in the picture is half Gypsy Vanner and half Appaloosa - her markings were fun to paint!  I also enjoyed capturing the intense shadows in this piece.