Wednesday, June 6, 2007

An artistic diversion

I've been painting lately in my spare time, which I have a lot of here in South Florida- all of the work is done before normal people are awake. Here are some fruits of my labor.


I found a photo of Harlequin Ducks in the May/June issue of Birding; the position of the ducks in the photo with the water surrounding them looked so artistic already, and of course the form and colors of the ducks themselves, that I just had to paint it.


This Northern Wheatear was irresistibly plump-looking.


These birds don't count as wild, but it's the only bird photography I've done lately. These lorikeets (Rainbow Lorikeets?) at Parrot Jungle Park had quite the appetite for nectar, and they tried to transcend the laws of physics by simultaneously shoving their faces into the tiny cup I was holding. One perched on my head to wait his turn, but he had an ulterior motive- trying to steal my earring.


This Lubber has been hanging around on the porch screen for a couple of days now. I must say, it's a little creepy looking out the window and seeing an insect as big as my hand lurking nearby...