Perfect Pose

 Perfect Pose

6 x 6, pastel

Love it when these little beauties return for the summer. They have been buzzing back and forth, dive bombing each other all day. This little guy took a breather on just the right branch!

Surprise Winter Visitor

 Surprise Winter Visitor

8"x 6", pastel

Just this week we had a bit of snow, quite an unusual happening in south Texas. I kept my eyes peeled for this little fellow. You see, several years ago we had a severe freeze lasting several days. Now I have a bad habit of leaving the hummingbird feeders up. Well, imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw this little guy on one of the frozen feeders!!! I immediately set to work to get another feeder out there with thawed food!

He hung around several days as did the freeze, keeping me busy putting out thawed food every couple of hours. He often sat in our lemon bush (where he is in this painting) just a shivering. I have the cutest photos of his little eyes closed, and those feathers puffed up, trying his best to stay warm.

I am sure we will have another cold spell and I will be on the lookout for my little visitor!

January Visitor

January Visitor

6" x 6", pastel

This is another painting of the little hummer that visited our feeder January 2018 during the freezing days. It was so puffed up trying to keep warm. Can't you just feel the chill in his little bones?

Rufous

Rufous

6 x 6, pastel

Never before have I seen one of these beauties! During our 20 degree days back in January, he came and sat at the empty feeder that was still hanging. (I know I am bad) Fortunately, I just happened to see him. Brought in the feeder and scrubbed it and another, and made fresh food. For the next 2 days I would change the feeders about every hour and a half because by that time it was starting to freeze. He hung around during the cold snap, left, then returned during the next cold spell. I have some cute pictures of him all puffed up sitting in the lemon tree.....so very cold!

The Lord sure blessed the world with some beautiful creatures!

Lesson: Stop Putz-ing Around

Spring Beauty

8"x 8", pastel

Almost a month since the last post!!! Yikes, but really have been busy. Working on several paintings, won an award at the San Antonio Art League and Museum 86th Annual Artists Exhibition, plus playing pickleball (Google it).

This little painting is the latest work. In fact I just completed it about 30 minutes ago. Now it has been on the easel, in progress for over a week. Being the realist painter that I am, I was trying to include every little leaf and flower in the photo reference.........and just this morning determined that they were becoming the stars, not this precious hummer! Have been working on those leaves and flowers for days, but this morning took the alcohol to everything but the bird! In layman's terms, that means that all the pastel soaked into the board and became a muted surface on which to apply fresh pastel.

When it dried, there was no putz-ing (now I did look up the meaning of this word......didn't want to get myself in trouble here!) around, just gave the indication of flora around the star of the painting....pleased with the result.