Kelly - Paintings 4 - 7

I painted this little chickadee last week after putting seed in the feeders one night around 9:00 p.m. It was so cold, and I was thinking about the little birds and how they were going to survive the long, cold night ahead. I wanted him to glow in the moonlight so I used a white fine-tipped marker on his white feathers when I was finished with the painting to give that glow.

I painted "Topiary with Red Birds" with summer heat in mind (...lots of green to counteract the gray that descends in our area midwinter). This in a new style for me. It started as a watercolor and morphed into a watery acrylic. Along the way I carved a leaf stamp in an eraser (idea from Laure's blog) and stamped it all over using acrylic paint. I then ran water over it to spread everything out. It makes me think of something I would have see as a child in the late 60s.

"Hummer Light" makes me happy--it's quick and sloppy with just a feel of the moment. It's all watercolor--no sketching and probably created in under a minute. Of all these, it's my most natural style.

Can you tell I'm missing the sun...and the green...and the flowers? This painting started with a wash background. Next...I laid in lines and impressions of flowers, finishing it with a tiny Sedge Wren in the bottom-right corner. I'm working on a very detailed watercolor painting right now, and I wanted to take a fun break from it, so I experimented with new styles. I want to do more loose paintings like these.