tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55841333507572711222024-03-14T05:38:35.181-04:00Vickie's SketchbookVickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-8736839584251184832023-10-08T21:59:00.004-04:002023-10-08T22:18:13.208-04:00Amazing Elephants <p>On my recent visit to Kruger National Park in South Africa in May 2023, I had the opportunity to visit the northern end of the park. An area less crowded and more peaceful, full of many scenic river views. And so many elephants! We spent hours watching the interaction of wildlife at waterholes, some man-made, some natural, all giving much information about the environment and its inhabitants. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8S75bU2OlicRY3xq0JB2kmErl4VLX9rXI-BBJuZlibIPJ4IQEQDd9jyvWQE0YXo_50P-elPl8bLFWoEcxvG13z9bDr0svQ_9sjbkx0ZXmRInQ_4YSEwRKU7eFKL5gehrM78WDDBosAtyf2Rjda-82NZdasTwIJeGmShumMRSZKrLPOtJclBINL8Y0EpZ/s4155/Young%20and%20Bold.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4155" data-original-width="3000" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8S75bU2OlicRY3xq0JB2kmErl4VLX9rXI-BBJuZlibIPJ4IQEQDd9jyvWQE0YXo_50P-elPl8bLFWoEcxvG13z9bDr0svQ_9sjbkx0ZXmRInQ_4YSEwRKU7eFKL5gehrM78WDDBosAtyf2Rjda-82NZdasTwIJeGmShumMRSZKrLPOtJclBINL8Y0EpZ/w314-h436/Young%20and%20Bold.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><p>This painting is of a young bull elephant, maybe three years of age, who came bursting onto the waterhole scene, growling and trumpeting, causing a heard of Cape Buffalo to scatter. What a surprise for me. I never imagined a young elephant would have so much power. He was so small, but so confident and bold. </p><p>Please join me at my art website, <a href="https://www.vickiehenderson.com/" target="_blank">Vickie Henderson Art</a>, where I have created a blog post that tells the rest of this story and how my visits to S. Africa are inspiring my art. </p><p>You are invited to subscribe to my website blog and newsletter so that we can stay in touch no matter which platform I am using! <a href="https://www.vickiehenderson.com/blog" target="_blank">Vickie Henderson Art - blog.</a> See you there!</p><p></p>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-14915466115032554202020-08-02T14:26:00.000-04:002020-08-02T14:36:25.553-04:00Revisiting Alaska with Sketches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YjUpmNuFxgfMhBjJ8KUY2eyhhHUOvfjgzv2JDEFhnij8Pp60kELNG9fpmVfvBokHDwFgmmP59zT7B0e8uLsVZw_ThPn-PBSS_XEwh7AYey-1kQqdlyjTdWfdxb9VjVrGZ0hEJ2Jah5QY/s1600/IMG_20200706_121655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1600" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YjUpmNuFxgfMhBjJ8KUY2eyhhHUOvfjgzv2JDEFhnij8Pp60kELNG9fpmVfvBokHDwFgmmP59zT7B0e8uLsVZw_ThPn-PBSS_XEwh7AYey-1kQqdlyjTdWfdxb9VjVrGZ0hEJ2Jah5QY/s640/IMG_20200706_121655.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I recently had a request for a grizzly bear sketch from my dear friends who spent many months as summer rangers in Denali National Park and Preserve. They both, husband and wife, helped park visitors stay safe and taught them how to enjoy the beauty of the wilderness, a job that mixes hard work with determination and sometimes the unexpected. Their generous invitation for me to join them for a week in Denali was the reason I planned my trip to <a href="https://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/Denali%20National%20Park%20and%20Preserve">Alaska in 2012</a> in late August. If you click on the link, you will see the beautiful colors found on the tundra as it prepares for winter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvOauhJpVJE10xr_69OHuFtnHpCSpTQuo7EIRE-XknonQdGrp8VusPXQzgm7g6sYDcQKoFhdS6EWO2xtk1fleEdaTzk-fjE7jrcxL0crQw1oOg3XL_WvN4QqTeH20CJ5RhMGvv2E5RMsg/s1600/IMG_20200713_212152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1600" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvOauhJpVJE10xr_69OHuFtnHpCSpTQuo7EIRE-XknonQdGrp8VusPXQzgm7g6sYDcQKoFhdS6EWO2xtk1fleEdaTzk-fjE7jrcxL0crQw1oOg3XL_WvN4QqTeH20CJ5RhMGvv2E5RMsg/s640/IMG_20200713_212152.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Browsing through my Alaska images was like a revisit and brought back a surprising sense of awe similar to what I originally felt while surveying the rugged and beautiful terrain of the wilderness. I especially enjoyed that revisiting sensation in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic that currently limits travels. This is a time when photography and art can transform the moment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLAOZe5hEpTqNBfLwaKjpVOafby3SIcxt2VZFBCKDmzX0Rwxf69D0bgLRFW9elQUsHmCh9PhfV-vyP0iYQLU6Hyg2mO8IEdZcyVW9ufqzrEoy88qrCQg9Z_wxVE5vC0-HX6y2X4aLwc4Y/s1600/IMG_20200713_212257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="1600" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLAOZe5hEpTqNBfLwaKjpVOafby3SIcxt2VZFBCKDmzX0Rwxf69D0bgLRFW9elQUsHmCh9PhfV-vyP0iYQLU6Hyg2mO8IEdZcyVW9ufqzrEoy88qrCQg9Z_wxVE5vC0-HX6y2X4aLwc4Y/s640/IMG_20200713_212257.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
While creating the sketches I also explored papers, light and shadow, and bear shapes. The first sketch was on Canson sketching paper, easy, free, forgiving, fun. There is something about sketching paper that frees the spirit. But I did miss the depth of color and fluid movement that happens on real 140 lb cotton paper. The second and third images were on different watercolor 140# rag paper, one soft and absorbing (image 2) and the third, tough Arches 140# cold press, which is most familiar to me and my favorite. These were fun explorations and I am not finished playing! A lot of learning and fun happens in series painting!<br />
Visit bear fun and a sketch I made while in the park at Vickie Henderson Art: <a href="https://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2012/10/grizzly-bear-gets-good-scratch.html">A Bear Gets a Good Scratch</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-51993091884909299142019-01-14T17:31:00.000-05:002019-01-14T17:36:40.449-05:00The Stunning Brown Creeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Always a fun surprise, especially at eye-level, I discovered a Brown Creeper scooting up a tree truck near my carport as I was taking my recycling out. The carport is high above ground-level, mid-way up the trees, giving me a good view of birds in the area!</div>
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In Tennessee, these 5" birds (including bill and tail) are seen mostly during the winter months so I've never heard their calls or songs, or at least, I haven't recognized them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBLjDe6UGaj7O2sYxCbexx4qk-Xojf5RY8AMchHLFwDHL2ZAqkiVCB2oASxE_bYl1uBRoXSo8nWXxZ2PWrl1tflMFBAI2SNfF8i_ESsgrzNMAiRn-Q5m96LckCCen3QJDw7WOLrsOoiWt/s1600/IMG_7746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1600" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBLjDe6UGaj7O2sYxCbexx4qk-Xojf5RY8AMchHLFwDHL2ZAqkiVCB2oASxE_bYl1uBRoXSo8nWXxZ2PWrl1tflMFBAI2SNfF8i_ESsgrzNMAiRn-Q5m96LckCCen3QJDw7WOLrsOoiWt/s640/IMG_7746.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This creeper was scooting so fast on this gray, overcast day, that I had difficulty getting a good focus with my camera and then she stopped to preen! (Males and females appear the same, so its impossible to tell!) What a treat to see this activity. Check out the long back toe and claw, above. And below, a nice view of its tail brace. <br />
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Though creepers aren't in the woodpecker family, they have a tail with stiffened, pointed tips like those of woodpeckers, that help brace them as they forage in the bark looking for insect eggs and larvae. Their beautiful dark and chocolate brown colors speckled with white, camouflage them almost completely when perched motionless on the bark of a tree.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUuJ2rVCr6o7QhOGR0XSxUX6mnwrDKnUtxjYnpQ2cW9vVSep8ZJeaOt0_EfSwjD1sE8EZCbO09YDouWhZUE5NMCHkQdOH8txkWtQfPIxey7pPbkMUVrhYu2Y3OxiDP924r3Pa4fNRWDCm/s1600/IMG_7739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1306" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUuJ2rVCr6o7QhOGR0XSxUX6mnwrDKnUtxjYnpQ2cW9vVSep8ZJeaOt0_EfSwjD1sE8EZCbO09YDouWhZUE5NMCHkQdOH8txkWtQfPIxey7pPbkMUVrhYu2Y3OxiDP924r3Pa4fNRWDCm/s640/IMG_7739.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
My first creeper sighting of the season--a bird that makes you appreciate the beauty of brown and gray!<br />
To see another intimate visit with a Brown Creeper visit my <a href="https://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2011/11/special-visit-with-brown-creeper.html">Brown Creeper</a> post on <a href="https://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/">Vickie Henderson Art. </a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-65004737104097848862018-03-26T05:52:00.002-04:002018-03-26T07:10:09.300-04:00Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trying something new in art stimulates your creative juices, challenges self doubt and hesitation, and pushes you past habits that represent safety but not your best artistic potential.<br />
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That is what happens when you take a watercolor workshop from a master or from any accomplished artist that you want to observe and learn their way of creating watercolors.</div>
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Charles Reid is known for his bright use of color and unique drawing style. He admits readily that his quirky drawing is because "I can't draw". He draws what he sees making pivotal dots as he moves his pencil in a different direction, similar to contour drawing but more angular in style.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iqdZRlM17WgS76uSNxIS2E_SQhlx98oJhCjgTHfJMbO6lHFBS7tbCaioFMADQh3nGbhRV9g71f5Gva1Xuqitf2O2SgPF5drA9oeo5o4C1dqTwIP6iwJga94uTPczEKwl6nZmwVpQYLy5/s1600/20170505_053859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iqdZRlM17WgS76uSNxIS2E_SQhlx98oJhCjgTHfJMbO6lHFBS7tbCaioFMADQh3nGbhRV9g71f5Gva1Xuqitf2O2SgPF5drA9oeo5o4C1dqTwIP6iwJga94uTPczEKwl6nZmwVpQYLy5/s640/20170505_053859.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
One of the most important watercolor skills I retained from his demonstrations was his emphasis on the connection of colors within the painting. Each yellow flower, for example, should connect with another yellow. He does not identify a center of interest, but considers these color connections as a pathway through the painting, leading the eye. He also paints straight from the pallette, using generous amounts of water to spread the pigment on paper, creating brilliant colors.<br />
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Each of the paintings above, were my practice using his techniques. Unusual subjects for me and fun experiments into a different way of painting!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vkat5YN55PK3IeHw-YJVFyLKSnKNAqCRZRhkZufxHjSRWCGO9KsDaCS3trD2ejSkjQfHmRdQXpkxGKgoIcwQo2bkl1jP0SLi8nvljM_GvhaoR0RTmPdGm_ZnUCgogd7jZacLqHVrhSla/s1600/Charles+Reid+and+Kay+Alexander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vkat5YN55PK3IeHw-YJVFyLKSnKNAqCRZRhkZufxHjSRWCGO9KsDaCS3trD2ejSkjQfHmRdQXpkxGKgoIcwQo2bkl1jP0SLi8nvljM_GvhaoR0RTmPdGm_ZnUCgogd7jZacLqHVrhSla/s640/Charles+Reid+and+Kay+Alexander.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Vickie Henderson, Charles Reid and Kay Alexander at Cheap Joes in Boone, NC, 2017.<br />
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See also: <a href="https://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search?q=brenda+swenson">Art Workshop with Brenda Swenson</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-18799485881580924712017-03-15T05:00:00.000-04:002017-03-15T05:00:19.031-04:00Watercolor Nature Journaling Workshop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Join me for a fun day of exploring nature with watercolor on April 8th at the Chota Recreation Center, Tellico Village in Loudon, Tennessee.</div>
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Nature journals are the earliest source of information that we have about our natural world. Holding a journal in one's hand evokes emotion and awe because we innately relate to the sensory details captured in the artists words and images. The added bonus to creating our own journals? We see and enjoy more deeply and that comes with calming health benefits!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-ti06Wvns2HIGBykubOIrICBjNzQlykktZvg6T2kaAJkN0Zue8AgbLmzrEe9KwnViFT5A0jgvG8HO8ogdK42xlLGnWyMdUxfCzmZmuDF5fNzBhaJsM-iqxR8aQr8dkXhFoQ-E0xJfK4W/s1600/IMG_0675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-ti06Wvns2HIGBykubOIrICBjNzQlykktZvg6T2kaAJkN0Zue8AgbLmzrEe9KwnViFT5A0jgvG8HO8ogdK42xlLGnWyMdUxfCzmZmuDF5fNzBhaJsM-iqxR8aQr8dkXhFoQ-E0xJfK4W/s640/IMG_0675.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Join me for a relaxing day of exploring watercolor and nature. We will review helpful sketching techniques, use of values, basic watercolor washes, negative painting, representation of sky, clouds, rocks and trees, and choice of colors for the season. Using all our senses to enhance our observations, we'll leave our traditional artist fears behind and enjoy a day of exploring nature with watercolor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQ6iL1-WDIlw_E4_7tF9alWzWqsNgbED5m3j06p2jlCyY9dDfsFuIx8ZSeTi2sForJQ5rl8lSuUHS3df26sped2I88HdSgwgXH-oIDZ6d5zgtVkqHEu1GvVqYhJyV7NNHPzlokR88smJX/s1600/monarchsketch_900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQ6iL1-WDIlw_E4_7tF9alWzWqsNgbED5m3j06p2jlCyY9dDfsFuIx8ZSeTi2sForJQ5rl8lSuUHS3df26sped2I88HdSgwgXH-oIDZ6d5zgtVkqHEu1GvVqYhJyV7NNHPzlokR88smJX/s640/monarchsketch_900.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The workshop is sponsored by the Art Guild of Tellico Village. <a href="http://www.tellicoartguild.org/workshop-electronic-form" target="_blank">Visit this link to sign up! </a><br />
For more information about the workshop and the guild visit: <a href="http://www.tellicoartguild.org/workshops" target="_blank">the Art Guild of Tellico Village Workshops</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-92221487559921976212017-03-10T22:58:00.002-05:002017-03-11T15:22:30.962-05:00Inspiration from Cuba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I took a sketchbook and a tiny watercolor palette on my ten day trip to Cuba in January, but our schedule was so full, there was no opportunity to sketch. I was very glad to have my camera with me and recorded what I was seeing even while we traveled on the bus. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom0dZfrKZKys0pYTHdkUTQNsU1ud3Kd2rE5eg1B4STE9lZ8RwbVleFDQcybTZLkEpaRMTlYLvAHozO3a7xbcVlu-RA1D1yEkZ-Ft6da4zbi_lKBYHJu1v-8dW6fa0PJhnhTXcCEt3O1ez/s1600/IMG_7555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom0dZfrKZKys0pYTHdkUTQNsU1ud3Kd2rE5eg1B4STE9lZ8RwbVleFDQcybTZLkEpaRMTlYLvAHozO3a7xbcVlu-RA1D1yEkZ-Ft6da4zbi_lKBYHJu1v-8dW6fa0PJhnhTXcCEt3O1ez/s640/IMG_7555.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
There was meaning, beauty and inspiration everywhere I looked--in revolutionary symbols, in color and texture, in tropical scenery and endemic birds, in age and youth--a country lingering in a time past with so much energy and vitality in its art and culture. Artistic images were everywhere. A warbler perched on a porch lamp, green bananas ripening in a rusty blue wheel barrow, colorful chickens scratching to feed their young, a team of oxen pulling a plow, a sturdy horse pulling a cart loaded down with people. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIwqPwI2BWt_xNUVOh_lKXP9OAHzyieAyM3c_Yv7w70mi9PV2RC79cEhpx4Qfg_3e_ecupsY5KpqY02kcf41m6t3QKy5NUrSW3acXIAN5bkDFsQsUjDEvV_aZRK1utiSMeUeEz0eF9Cth/s1600/IMG_7559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIwqPwI2BWt_xNUVOh_lKXP9OAHzyieAyM3c_Yv7w70mi9PV2RC79cEhpx4Qfg_3e_ecupsY5KpqY02kcf41m6t3QKy5NUrSW3acXIAN5bkDFsQsUjDEvV_aZRK1utiSMeUeEz0eF9Cth/s640/IMG_7559.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
My photos captured much of what I saw, but I came home with a burning desire to paint these different and challenging subjects in watercolor. The young girl from Las Terrazas, pictured in the sketch above, is dressed in her school uniform and paused to display her flag for us before heading home after her day at school.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KCRMjxqpKk-Hj4hle8I5e-p9-uvXkx0XhJLkBD6IGfJ4HtyPzSscxALBang93oZNU2rwyEa1uFfwldKNDZqx4vwLiZt80PZja48oCuLm8KxaAKAg1cuYf7BS44sKGvb8s5ZZccO_Jjug/s1600/IMG_9926_Training_study1_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KCRMjxqpKk-Hj4hle8I5e-p9-uvXkx0XhJLkBD6IGfJ4HtyPzSscxALBang93oZNU2rwyEa1uFfwldKNDZqx4vwLiZt80PZja48oCuLm8KxaAKAg1cuYf7BS44sKGvb8s5ZZccO_Jjug/s640/IMG_9926_Training_study1_2.jpg" width="490" /></a></div>
Above, a study of a young horse being trained to accept the noises and confusion of road travel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxISIP9i2gDaGhCOeyZ9JoZqzkQ7YMgIHumxj7wqqYghZhOHlqsNFt4B43AQ9IxgkmJCd18N_3Hp2MrSQsL6GxUM9EHKUo7NglL4r4sybax47AnOG1nU2M4amRKWCzTnSGrdWpdRsvjRCC/s1600/IMG_9942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxISIP9i2gDaGhCOeyZ9JoZqzkQ7YMgIHumxj7wqqYghZhOHlqsNFt4B43AQ9IxgkmJCd18N_3Hp2MrSQsL6GxUM9EHKUo7NglL4r4sybax47AnOG1nU2M4amRKWCzTnSGrdWpdRsvjRCC/s640/IMG_9942.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
In Cayo Coco, Cuba, I was on my way to breakfast and stopped to watch Cuban Emeralds (hummingbirds) nectaring blossoms in a nearby tree. I also discovered a beautiful Yellow-throated Warbler perched on the light fixture on the second floor balcony above--an unexpected setting for a life bird! Wintering warblers were everywhere in Cuba!<br />
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Visit <a href="http://discoverbirds.blogspot.com/2017/02/sharing-our-discover-birds-activity.html" target="_blank">Cuba on the Discover Birds Blog</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-51447781545802197832016-12-17T18:49:00.000-05:002016-12-17T18:49:47.463-05:00White-throated Sparrow on Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The cold winter months provide opportunity for gathering inspiration, as well as, quiet indoor time to create watercolor paintings! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3fBK8dnIVJ8d-p7cwC_TJJIfDnC5rBDoT7tfHcJq1toB86YrmWoJyvPMarc6l2_rWWM6K9ZwUNzfAfoPsgFQ4G0Jms94TZlrP6nWx3HSV55dZY7ZnTmLoSvKMgr27HkSlZi4sAAuaKIM/s1600/IMG_9578_3_cropped+for+cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3fBK8dnIVJ8d-p7cwC_TJJIfDnC5rBDoT7tfHcJq1toB86YrmWoJyvPMarc6l2_rWWM6K9ZwUNzfAfoPsgFQ4G0Jms94TZlrP6nWx3HSV55dZY7ZnTmLoSvKMgr27HkSlZi4sAAuaKIM/s640/IMG_9578_3_cropped+for+cards.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The above painting was inspired by a harsh but beautiful ice storm in east Tennessee in February 2015. Ice coated everything so I not only spent a lot of time making sure the birds in my yard had food and water, I took many photographs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh3wH1QMQiEgB7xTVmtlO4Y73aDflxJuDLM9Of4X0paIJe6oaS5i9QSpYHefYCTHYX3cfqK26yeT2j_SMI-7mR-FGedJPNVeQVobKCaLu1hopa1M_0yyQDqYsI9qlYvz5nGlt31ezpASF/s1600/IMG_0381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh3wH1QMQiEgB7xTVmtlO4Y73aDflxJuDLM9Of4X0paIJe6oaS5i9QSpYHefYCTHYX3cfqK26yeT2j_SMI-7mR-FGedJPNVeQVobKCaLu1hopa1M_0yyQDqYsI9qlYvz5nGlt31ezpASF/s640/IMG_0381.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The limbs of an ice-coated Burning Bush were breath-taking, looking like lace. I watched birds move in and out of its branches, some plucking berries, others perching near the feeders. Above and below, fluffy White-throated Sparrows perched among the limbs. Birds fluff their feathers to trap air giving them an extra layer of warmth trapped under their feathers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0WdCY1sedbteduhSdIyG41CbdBlFzZbz2VG-kfAPPmmZ-fnjBOf3sJYrabIoM0JSMJrdpnZRHSw5yBSbWdbFPVxABB6SFG5nxenqadaQRRvZiwRdT9GZ8HhyfyZhZM_cMScRj7onBbIG/s1600/IMG_0458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0WdCY1sedbteduhSdIyG41CbdBlFzZbz2VG-kfAPPmmZ-fnjBOf3sJYrabIoM0JSMJrdpnZRHSw5yBSbWdbFPVxABB6SFG5nxenqadaQRRvZiwRdT9GZ8HhyfyZhZM_cMScRj7onBbIG/s640/IMG_0458.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Painting ice in watercolor means "saving the whites". The white of the paper is the white in your watercolor painting. Ice presents an interesting challenge, more so than snow, because it reflects light and color from the surrounding area. . <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZoC1ihON0hHUcwa3DGOPnheXk4jAxyqMYcMBNMrYvyhmWKhwZ9bhVpHXevPm7IXab7bb5RNKb72BPeTIXcUZLG1OWwW4nsESKxi25gQbTxzyiNs6pDGBOLe4sJRujkFrQFzqaOtP5Fpf/s1600/20160208_115907_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZoC1ihON0hHUcwa3DGOPnheXk4jAxyqMYcMBNMrYvyhmWKhwZ9bhVpHXevPm7IXab7bb5RNKb72BPeTIXcUZLG1OWwW4nsESKxi25gQbTxzyiNs6pDGBOLe4sJRujkFrQFzqaOtP5Fpf/s640/20160208_115907_resized.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Above you can see how I began this painting. After carefully drawing the limbs and sparrow, I began negative painting with light washes of a mixture of burnt sienna and ultarmarine blue. Together these hues range from blue to blue-gray, to brown, to brown-gray to rust and subtle shades in between. .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi749hRGxbWXysCxffnnoOcnr0n831qAgUP8i5iBqEDSYa5kxNet6eLnZLc7PdBufCBWcbkwqyYOBX3d9Mb4Tl-8dd6XhRi94CVpdGp83EncTONquEtJmsjtkRUGPZZ4-829hyrYgT58mto/s1600/20160208_115907_resized_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi749hRGxbWXysCxffnnoOcnr0n831qAgUP8i5iBqEDSYa5kxNet6eLnZLc7PdBufCBWcbkwqyYOBX3d9Mb4Tl-8dd6XhRi94CVpdGp83EncTONquEtJmsjtkRUGPZZ4-829hyrYgT58mto/s640/20160208_115907_resized_cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
In this case I applied the washes in layers, with each area drying before I applied another layer over it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih71pjtNHvbBmXPeiIprxuHYerXEfqiVcTuSNdqPN3bTC2cWTI0J125nT0YROJwLMVjeKxf43HBdmdEhSkPVz7N3beMh8Cz7_wWAINwG96KkK9oOqoUls1YI-DA_WMdtbKNOpN3-V2GXGJ/s1600/20160208_140857_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih71pjtNHvbBmXPeiIprxuHYerXEfqiVcTuSNdqPN3bTC2cWTI0J125nT0YROJwLMVjeKxf43HBdmdEhSkPVz7N3beMh8Cz7_wWAINwG96KkK9oOqoUls1YI-DA_WMdtbKNOpN3-V2GXGJ/s640/20160208_140857_resized.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
While painting you can also drop paint into damp pigment to vary the color. The key to keeping the paint underneath from moving is to avoid dabbing your brush but rather, add pigment with a stroke or two and leave the area until it dries. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSe8gmGJDTubuQNR8ZQv_pmhF4cnyTW8UdohZ9xhnTugkRxqyG49SxRsBsu6HRTnQ0z6PfUUu0QRTpqWtNo3TRNlJbxJ0xShmGJw4NemZvrs9sa8J5JQiI2V3SaYrrXE9oGthhUH2MWq8/s1600/20160314_101022_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSe8gmGJDTubuQNR8ZQv_pmhF4cnyTW8UdohZ9xhnTugkRxqyG49SxRsBsu6HRTnQ0z6PfUUu0QRTpqWtNo3TRNlJbxJ0xShmGJw4NemZvrs9sa8J5JQiI2V3SaYrrXE9oGthhUH2MWq8/s640/20160314_101022_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Watercolor painting takes patience because we often spend a lot of time waiting for the right moment to add the next brush stroke. Paint will have a shiny appearance when wet and look dull when dry. Waiting for that right moment will reward you with satisfying results. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHehyM-vEGEQrR_7pS54qDAHBkaTNewHHLvUmGk8_7X_UR2bYXkiA30RgTaW00AL0uuMC30aFoB_ZJQMc9SQz6OJPtwaXWx88nepr6Z0oj0UhZE9vg-nzqxDDw788edzAII_W396SKcJP8/s1600/20160314_130951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHehyM-vEGEQrR_7pS54qDAHBkaTNewHHLvUmGk8_7X_UR2bYXkiA30RgTaW00AL0uuMC30aFoB_ZJQMc9SQz6OJPtwaXWx88nepr6Z0oj0UhZE9vg-nzqxDDw788edzAII_W396SKcJP8/s640/20160314_130951.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Look for inspiration in the neutrals of winter and have a great time painting while its cold and wet outside!<br />
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Links and references:<br />
Negative painting: <a href="https://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2013/11/fun-with-fall-leaves-creating-layers.html" target="_blank">Fun with Fall Leaves</a> and <a href="https://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2015/08/hummingbird-inspiration.html" target="_blank">Hummingbird Inspiration</a><br />
<a href="https://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2015/02/ice-and-bluebirds-special-matter.html" target="_blank">Helping wintering bluebirds</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-24610030762774610342016-10-06T07:00:00.000-04:002016-10-06T20:39:07.625-04:00Elkmont Cabins En Plein AirJust across the road from the Elkmont campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park you can explore what is often called the "ghost town" of the Smokies, cabin remnants of a vacation community that was built in the early 1900's. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFO2OwPQAEROVAcHQcINIkRLBO-J3nk-_l23aoecb7Dy5XwM3XWCFpH04fLYA4W4rW5SCxipzK8xuSkRtFNv5EpdWGC6gMuj1ldM2KPNr1vyqsizj3sBMwwrAO5-r8j8klBfEo9pJUp6L/s1600/IMG_20161003_062352092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFO2OwPQAEROVAcHQcINIkRLBO-J3nk-_l23aoecb7Dy5XwM3XWCFpH04fLYA4W4rW5SCxipzK8xuSkRtFNv5EpdWGC6gMuj1ldM2KPNr1vyqsizj3sBMwwrAO5-r8j8klBfEo9pJUp6L/s640/IMG_20161003_062352092.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The cabins, even in their deteriorated condition, offer interest, texture and intrigue for sketching. Juxtaposed against moss covered stones, graceful woodland ferns, wildflowers and falling leaves, this setting was a spectacular place to join friends, Kay and Doris, for a morning of outdoor painting--en plein air. The possibilities for visual exploring were endless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HeFIHbbSk22h6ncuxKz3E6NGdWqBvvpQyjMIbj1Z0fuDv-tizR3DUMsAQMfGNRglJNftbMa-jwmDi_LD1x6JU95C91mbKtrOce-0ODOWmk-VqL628dh1au7uqVT_X_Vy-CGSVjQXKzPk/s1600/IMG_2264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HeFIHbbSk22h6ncuxKz3E6NGdWqBvvpQyjMIbj1Z0fuDv-tizR3DUMsAQMfGNRglJNftbMa-jwmDi_LD1x6JU95C91mbKtrOce-0ODOWmk-VqL628dh1au7uqVT_X_Vy-CGSVjQXKzPk/s640/IMG_2264.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
It is often hard to remove the pressure to "produce" while making art, but this setting made it easy. Among the trees, in the midst of an early autumn coolness and surrounded by so much stimulation for the senses, sketching became a way of enjoying more deeply. <br />
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The slide show below offers a glimpse of the cabin community along with its peaceful natural setting and the sense of tranquility we experienced while painting there. I hope it inspires you to venture out and take your paints with you! <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="366" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dU2GnmXJXxAqHW04Fs961zpc4gvddJVCruXaveAVXOw/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="600"></iframe><br />
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Links and resources:<br />
For more posts on this blog about painting in the outdoors, visit <a href="https://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search?q=en+plein+air" target="_blank">en plein air</a> and<br />
<a href="https://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2011/09/sketching-hummingbirds-in-flight.html" target="_blank">sketching hummingbirds</a> in flight.<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.kayalexander.net/" target="_blank">Kay Alexander Watercolors</a> and see Kay's beautiful <i>en plein air </i>paintings.Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-38640898005843578972016-04-03T12:24:00.000-04:002016-04-07T16:14:36.895-04:00One Decision at a TimeI have been blogging since January of 2008--eight years! Google sent me an email message today saying some of my links on <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vickie Henderson Art</a> are not working and I should clean them up. Good idea. In doing so, I ran across this early post published April 1st, 2008. I love the message. I am astounded that I still paint this way. Its wisdom lives on! <br />
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<em>One decision at a time, </em><em>a painting is formed.</em><br />
<em>One decision at a time, </em><em>a life is lived.</em><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="476" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184343203502290482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGQ5TNaK_b4YDCrbEv2hotb5X0iIkezaMUoBStsfsizI5nTNFsgcCRzGOsl6oGD5DnyIkOK1JXGxEqwhxx__GFufQkN74kPKylgN9TSl0OhZ370692BB1eMvlkuxZkOdSHYhPAMrXsFU/s640/flowerpot-500.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" />The name of this painting is “Pink”. It began as a wash of pigment brushed on wet paper with nothing in particular in mind, except to see what a bit of rock salt sprinkled here and there would create. The next step was to define something, a shape, a form, a suggestion. The first time I tried this, I struggled. My mind was blank. I saw nothing. Nothing came to me, except frustration and the feeling, maybe I can’t do this. Maybe I hate this.<br />
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I revisit that place from time to time, where desire and doubt butt heads. Desire wins out with a little perseverance. And the next thing I know something magical has happened and I created it—me and the water and the pigment and the Universe--one decision at a time.Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-217967120315274372015-08-28T05:00:00.000-04:002015-08-29T09:04:03.314-04:00Hummingbird Inspiration!Hummingbird migration is one of my favorite seasonal events. In mid-July our first hummingbird nestlings fledged, more than doubling the number of hummingbirds at our yard feeders. In a short time they were joined by migrants, increasing activity in the garden substantially. If you sit still for a while you can pick out the youngsters by watching their behavior. <br />
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Young juveniles look just like adult females with the exception of feathers that are more gray than green, a characteristic that is hard to see at a distance. Behavior is the primary give-away to recognizing a recently fledged juvenile. <br />
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While females are all business--coming to the feeder for a drink and leaving quickly to return to nesting activities--juveniles hang-out. They sit on limbs, hide in the foliage, watch the activities for a while and tentatively approach the feeder. They also explore everything, especially the flowers. </div>
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Juvenile hummingbird observations inspired my two "mini-bell" sketches above. Both were created using negative painting to form the leaf shapes that make up the tangle of foliage so characteristic of minature petunias. "Hummingbird and Million Bells", above, began as a wet-on-wet multi-colored wash of Quinacradone Gold, Quinacradone Rose and Cobalt Teal Blue (all Daniel Smith watercolors). </div>
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These three primary colors--red, yellow, blue--provide the basic palette for the sketch. Variations of green were made by mixing the gold and teal together. Only two additional pigments were added, Burnt Sienna and Lunar Black. Lunar Black was added sparingly in the final touches for texture and as the darkest dark shapes.<br />
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With each layer of paint, the goal is to add some new leaf and stem shapes appearing behind the lighter shapes. Because these shapes are darker and the space around them, darker still, they recede into the background and give the painting depth.<br />
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Negative painting can feel intimidating at first because it's easy to get lost and forget where your layer begins and should end. Taking your time, imagining leaf and stem shapes as you work, and working in small areas at a time will help transform a confusing effort into a relaxing experience.<br />
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The nice thing about leaf shapes is there is natural variation in their size and shapes and you don't have to worry about getting them down perfectly. Mistakes happen and disappear! <br />
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If you are new to negative painting, visit my blog post, "<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2013/11/fun-with-fall-leaves-creating-layers.html" target="_blank">Fun with Fall Leaves</a>", for a fun exercise to get you started.<br />
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More posts about hummingbirds: <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2011/09/hummingbird-studies-movement-and-light.html" target="_blank">hummingbird studies</a> and <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2011/09/sketching-hummingbirds-in-flight.html" target="_blank">hummingbirds in flight</a><br />
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Visit my companion blog and enjoy the <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2015/08/wonder-of-hummingbirds-festival-holds.html" target="_blank">Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-52510777484476344872015-08-09T18:20:00.000-04:002015-08-10T07:51:13.317-04:00Art Workshop with Brenda Swenson--Skill-building, Inspiration and Community!We are all students and always will be as long as our minds and hearts remain open and curious. Art workshops provide creative opportunities to not only learn new skills but also rub shoulders with other artists and gain new ideas, encouragement and inspiration.<br />
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Negative painting practice after the workshop.<br />
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Brenda Swenson in Boone, NC<br />
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I had the delightful experience this past week of visiting Boone, North Carolina, for a five-day "Sketching in Watercolor" workshop hosted by Cheap Joe's Art Outlet, featuring award-winning artist, Brenda Swenson. I admire her watercolors and sketches and couldn't pass up the opportunity to learn from her when I discovered she was visiting the east to give a workshop.<br />
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Porch outside the class room--a place to retreat for breaks or to enjoy lunch. </div>
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Each day of the workshop we practiced drawing skills that will help us paint a subject from life. The first skill practiced, and our warm-up practice for each day, was continuous line contour drawing--drawing with a continuous line without lifting your pen. And yes, pen, not pencil. No erasing or correcting. We were encouraged to slow down and "see", and yet, each drawing had a time-limit and a timer running to keep our hands and minds moving. Three minutes were allowed for one object, six minutes for two objects, and nine for three. The objects were household items or "junk", any vase, tool, figurine, pitcher, anything that might be laying around the house or garage.<br />
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Above, a class exercise--combining elements from more than one photograph to create a sketch composition. Tombow water soluable burnt sienna pen with watercolor on Canson multi-media sketchbook paper.<br />
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The daily warm-ups accomplished so many things. Practice in concentrating, accepting the wobbles in our drawings, awareness of time, moving continuously without getting stuck on any one area, focus, and just getting it down no matter how imperfect. In fact, one of the mottos of class-- "perfect is boring". What we found as we looked at each other's work was that the wobbles contributed to the uniqueness, charm and style of each drawing. <br />
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Above, members of our class waiting to have our work critiqued. (I'm third from the left in the front row). Photo credit: Brenda Swenson<br />
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We learned as much from our critiques as we did from the art exercises and they were fun! Everyone's art is different and the variations in style and creativity are exciting. Brenda pointed out positives in each work and gave suggestions for improvements, providing great visual examples to aid memory.<br />
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For example, the white cloud in my sketching practice on tinted paper (above) was created with opaque paint. After pointing out the vignette design and how the light travels through the color of the tinted paper through the columns, Brenda mentioned that the white cloud wasn't needed. I looked at it later and realized that the cloud is not only not needed, it draws the eye away from the main subject which is the lovely columns. This is the value of practice and having someone else critique your work. We're often too close to our own work to be objective.<br />
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The continuous line contour drawings felt awkward to me, at first, and I initially wondered why I ever thought I could draw! Drawing is a skill that becomes rusty when not used! For me the additional challenge was a combination of new tools and the timer. With a timer going, I couldn't obsess about the details. I couldn't erase! This represented a huge leap forward. I have wanted to sketch as I travel but the stopper has always been "too little time". The skills we practiced were the very ones I needed to create possibilities for sketching in all types of circumstances.<br />
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Above, Brenda Swenson demonstrates her <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2013/11/fun-with-fall-leaves-creating-layers.html" target="_blank">negative</a> painting technique.<br />
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In the classroom, a video camera was mounted to project the art demonstrations on a large screen so that while seated, members of the class could view the demonstrations. The images above and below are pictures of the screen during the demonstration. <br />
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Delicious catered lunches were enjoyed daily and for the eager student, Cheap Joe's art supply store was right in the next room open for business! Add a skilled and patient instructor to the mix and you have the ingredients for an ideal art vacation! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3L-OrI48KUVCGPUcNsAV-21U7V26cso987mdOE__J1iRjBQRXegRlonpHivpOjAc3ZSd_koQBuFZ8PSm7uDoc6C82uuz4B_NtPY6kLST9DfOR9SaCqN45oW7ZPhk5YfixpIl_lkcv8LnP/s1600/IMG_6207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3L-OrI48KUVCGPUcNsAV-21U7V26cso987mdOE__J1iRjBQRXegRlonpHivpOjAc3ZSd_koQBuFZ8PSm7uDoc6C82uuz4B_NtPY6kLST9DfOR9SaCqN45oW7ZPhk5YfixpIl_lkcv8LnP/s640/IMG_6207.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Tennessee artist Kay Alexander (left), Brenda Swenson and Vickie Henderson in Boone, NC. <br />
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Resources and information: <br />
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<a href="http://www.swensonsart.net/" target="_blank">Brenda Swenson's website</a><br />
<a href="http://brendaswenson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Brenda's blog</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kayalexander.net/" target="_blank">Kay Alexander's website</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cheapjoes.com/" target="_blank">Cheap Joe's Art Supplies</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-2487512165754138542015-03-21T20:44:00.001-04:002015-03-21T21:49:47.707-04:00Bluebird on Ice--an Exploration "Watercolors are not for the faint-of-heart but for those willing to explore and experiment, knowing that they risk failure, knowing that each piece of paper will not end as a 'masterpiece'....So long as you keep rising to its challenges, it will keep opening doors on others. In time watercolor will become a reflection of you and your personality". Gordon MacKenzie, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Watercolorists-Essential-Notebook-experimentation/dp/1440309051/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">The Complete Watercolorist's Essential Notebook.</a></i><br />
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This painting became one of those lively challenges. A practice in patience and decision-making that stimulated my desire to learn new skills and new ways to indicate sparkle in a winter scene. <br />
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My first challenge was saving whites w/o using a masking medium by painting around the iced limbs. My hope was to capture the bright, muted grays of this winter day illuminated by a coating of ice and snow. Even though an initial wash of "painting around" objects looks a bit awkward at this stage, its appearance changes as you add more elements to the painting. I used French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna (Winsor Newton brand) to mix the gray, adding more water to achieve a lighter shade.<br />
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The gray wash was painted on after wetting the paper and being careful to leave the iced branches dry. The paint will move around the dry area. Once the wash had dried, I added more limbs and the brighter colors on the bluebird. The blue feathers are created from a mix of Pthalo Blue and Cobalt Blue.<br />
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Next I added the red berries and more limbs. I added darker gray around the limbs below the bird but discovered I preferred the brighter gray and corrected this by spraying clear water on the darker areas to dilute the color. <br />
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In the image above, the iced limbs draw the eye to the white and the hard edges. Below, I have softened some of the edges of the ice and added limbs showing through. <br />
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I continued to soften the ice edges by lifting with clear water and a scrub brush and softened the lines of the limbs within the ice. I've also added drips to further create the impression of ice and added more detail to the berry pods and the bluebird, shown below.<br />
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This was a fun exploration and a good practice for the patience of letting things unfold. Since working on this painting, I have searched for ideas in my watercolor books and found demonstrations on creating the sparkle and reflection in a crystal vase, which is somewhat like ice, and creating sparkles and ice on the surface of water. Though I haven't come across a demonstration of ice on branches, these techniques will come in handy as I continue to explore this kind of winter scene. <br />
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The last three weeks of February gave me plenty of reference images for ice on branches here in Tennessee. Below is another image of a bluebird on an iced branches. In this image, the limbs are clearly visible beneath the ice and you can see small reflections. This maybe my next painting challenge!<br />
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Previous posts on <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/Eastern%20bluebirds" target="_blank">Eastern Bluebirds </a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/painting%20ice" target="_blank">Painting Ice</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/softening%20edges" target="_blank">Softening edges</a><br />
Visit my blog posts on <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/birds%20and%20ice" target="_blank">birds in ice</a> at Vickie Henderson Art to see more images of birds on ice.Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-32056792723567891152015-03-16T08:33:00.000-04:002015-03-21T20:25:04.487-04:00Painting a Bluebird on Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of the many helpful insights I've learned over the years is this simple concept: "Every painting is created one decision at a time." All you have to do to move forward is decide what one thing you want to do next.</div>
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That concept takes so much of the hesitation and intimidation out of painting. Even if I can't "see" my way to the end, all I have to do is make one decision. And then, make one more decision after that. Each decision builds on the next until the next thing you know, the painting is finished!<br />
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I had an idea of where I wanted this painting to go when I began. I was interested in the ice and its impact on our wintering birds. While ice coated everything, I watched the bird community change. New species showed up that were not normally at my feeders, and bird behavior changed as some species aggressively guarded their food source. And right along with all this survival activity, the ice glistened on every limb, twig and blade of grass with an incredible hushed beauty.<br />
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I want to suggest that ice-glitter, the smooth ice formations around the burning bush twigs, and the hushed cold mood. I'm not really expecting to accomplish all of that in this first go-round, but I will learn from the effort! The first image you see is where I paused for a decision. The second image is the reference photo I'm using. <br />
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What would you do next? How would you begin if you were just starting this study? There are many ways to approach a painting and no one way is right or wrong. Feel free to use my reference image or one of your own and give it a try!<br />
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<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2015/03/winter-watercolor-bluebirds-and-ice.html" target="_blank">Bluebirds and Ice</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/common%20yellowthroat" target="_blank">painting decisions</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/learning%20as%20you%20paint" target="_blank">learning as you paint</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-82244353271422532402015-03-02T10:02:00.000-05:002015-03-02T14:03:50.154-05:00Winter Watercolor--Bluebirds and Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Just as we were thinking that spring was around the corner, winter decided to puff up and bring wintery precipitation of every form to east Tennessee. In a matter of 24 hours we had an inch of sleet, freezing rain, snow, and artic air that plunged the temperature down to 4 F degrees, with lower wind chills due to the bitter wind. </div>
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I spent a lot of time feeding and watching birds while ice glistened on every limb, sparkling like crystals when the sun came out briefly and creaking and popping as the wind brought the deep freezing cold front. Feeding bluebirds became a challenge. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1ZlTgxLv6kTgiMHWdOntfNrgdRQ25ey0QU1jd32yQ-P1h9UEMfrMzhmVVHHmHAKzbh_2Fki0B-QShYt5phYkkscZwrVR2LdJ8tH4MK_lhcT3d177mgoNiEPPvuygIHJSOXuW8YQzu66u/s1600/IMG_0496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1ZlTgxLv6kTgiMHWdOntfNrgdRQ25ey0QU1jd32yQ-P1h9UEMfrMzhmVVHHmHAKzbh_2Fki0B-QShYt5phYkkscZwrVR2LdJ8tH4MK_lhcT3d177mgoNiEPPvuygIHJSOXuW8YQzu66u/s1600/IMG_0496.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bluebirds are special eaters--spiders, berries and fruits in the winter--they can't digest seeds. Larger birds suddenly became territorial--initially it was an American Robin, claiming all the berries for himself, and then a rogue Mockingbird moved in to claim every food source driving all the smaller birds away. Everybody was stressed!</div>
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I simultaneously worried about the survival of my bird friends and stood in awe of the dazzling beauty that surrounded them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xN3_hry2VmmNyLuc6wiZ_JRXK6AB6tUHZYg5t_XlHBgKPo-JlrRYufMT7621P8hyy9rLzfQcTnUVBFPbIRWaHDqfTwOXgJt1G9iPR1gSywiGS1bYdJ8h83opao9XaPGaM5xKqEHrp4Z_/s1600/IMG_9307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xN3_hry2VmmNyLuc6wiZ_JRXK6AB6tUHZYg5t_XlHBgKPo-JlrRYufMT7621P8hyy9rLzfQcTnUVBFPbIRWaHDqfTwOXgJt1G9iPR1gSywiGS1bYdJ8h83opao9XaPGaM5xKqEHrp4Z_/s1600/IMG_9307.jpg" height="470" width="640" /></a></div>
Beauty is certainly one element that inspires our desire to create, but in this case, beauty juxtaposed with these harsh conditions tapped into that desire even more. My mind immediately went to--how do I represent these beautiful ice-covered limbs in watercolor? <br />
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I'm just getting started with this exploration. Creating a winter background, saving the white for the ice, getting that bluebird color and shape just right. The only way to know how you will do it is to get started. This process will result in either a valuable exploration or a painting. Either way, the artist wins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMdAJ7h73UyRIDHZqCjP_7y0Lko0EFHMpfJFsoYZfFUhqNki44FAImmDLA9Gyw9eMy3CSv8n5MxPVKiaNIAQFWWeXPZBiLtk8FEmwofF2YdTDf9SJ52dMuFSRlS_VvzMOU7v-59TFNg6K/s1600/IMG_1710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMdAJ7h73UyRIDHZqCjP_7y0Lko0EFHMpfJFsoYZfFUhqNki44FAImmDLA9Gyw9eMy3CSv8n5MxPVKiaNIAQFWWeXPZBiLtk8FEmwofF2YdTDf9SJ52dMuFSRlS_VvzMOU7v-59TFNg6K/s1600/IMG_1710.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
I decided to save the whites on the limbs by painting around them rather than using mask. Painting the subject next will help me see what else is needed as I go along.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xqmX6kw9O-zFmGVtn_MLRwr_Y_gaL0WlQAmLAj4vxZB1HK4W8AGuvx2fpxe_jnGFMf6G1O_btdLqg80AKJVzT4K0A0W48NtTwNgd336Vh82R2WgvMWN7uVz45veVAGJSpS_bKBPt2e_u/s1600/IMG_1715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xqmX6kw9O-zFmGVtn_MLRwr_Y_gaL0WlQAmLAj4vxZB1HK4W8AGuvx2fpxe_jnGFMf6G1O_btdLqg80AKJVzT4K0A0W48NtTwNgd336Vh82R2WgvMWN7uVz45veVAGJSpS_bKBPt2e_u/s1600/IMG_1715.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
Today, we're having a very dark, rainy mid-40's day. I welcome it since the piles of snow that followed the ice disrupted a second week of work at my office. There's always an upside, though. The incredible beauty that surrounded those wintery days, the influx of birds to my feeders with exciting wintering species like Fox Sparrows and Pine Warblers, and the added bonus of lots of inspiration for watercolor projects! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MhBbIs6hWomIjRalH5WsZcCjIfWdu7zGyMe8tO_OQXpqFklSLZBitBOlFuRox8Ug2R6jOQeAO9Zi4ky6v80uINe-EmR6QokSSw8ZtwtnOjGADXliAhkHn8gIJcfexDfxxZgWsYRIuEsb/s1600/IMG_1732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MhBbIs6hWomIjRalH5WsZcCjIfWdu7zGyMe8tO_OQXpqFklSLZBitBOlFuRox8Ug2R6jOQeAO9Zi4ky6v80uINe-EmR6QokSSw8ZtwtnOjGADXliAhkHn8gIJcfexDfxxZgWsYRIuEsb/s1600/IMG_1732.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
Above is another painting in process that offered some different challenges--a light subject with a dark, textured background. More about this painting soon.<br />
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Related Links:<br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2010/07/florida-scrub-jay-and-illusive-nature.html" target="_blank">Decision making </a>-- the process<br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2010/07/florida-scrub-jay-and-illusive-nature.html" target="_blank">Chickadee in Snow</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2015/02/ice-and-bluebirds-special-matter.html" target="_blank">Bluebirds and Ice</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2015/01/polar-bears-on-hudson-bay.html" target="_blank">Polar Bears sketching</a> and my <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/Journey%20to%20Churchill" target="_blank">journey to Churchill</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-81314039126544903312015-01-26T05:00:00.000-05:002015-01-26T18:14:46.429-05:00Winter Sketching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There is something about snow and the way it draws birds to the feeders that makes me want to step outside to sketch. That was my urge on Friday (Jan 23rd) just after the snow stopped falling. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83f64DXkqR-gp7Z3EImHTtGrNbXUgPCtc7baYifo_2GULRbNg72JFcJDseoRFTFIoJpVpWnwW9_9Bf0zfaxT4JvwDBHkDQ6Uxxg4NdxDMjhm1rgvsOpef6qBCEhyphenhypheneTQ9H-jD06kvg48VH/s1600/IMG_8031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30iHAxKnxUpDraexdwacmJRHCR_WsZZRUtWGrPJSu-vol6UOMLSe_Asja0uVCuksW91Fgi8XV-G6H7DDzBgLSbeopaLjlQoLMx9Hyl173qOEwuTpVZMx5sX23Dmqc2rGuG2rwRpoXeAaP/s1600/IMG_8032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30iHAxKnxUpDraexdwacmJRHCR_WsZZRUtWGrPJSu-vol6UOMLSe_Asja0uVCuksW91Fgi8XV-G6H7DDzBgLSbeopaLjlQoLMx9Hyl173qOEwuTpVZMx5sX23Dmqc2rGuG2rwRpoXeAaP/s1600/IMG_8032.jpg" height="640" width="488" /></a></div>
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34 F degrees is not exactly sketching weather but with gloves and a wool cap, I was okay for a while. Though a window view sounds warmer, had I been watching from indoors, I might have missed the big yellow tabby that came stalking and scattered all the finches. A couple of hand claps sent him on his way. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoaacXDSzLed4mh3wBjRhLqd51AD6IfRK4RkBl1zHnJ1oWgM-fCUS2tVEtpnb6FuxBKNiOf0HXTYWSPQICUiPYGs0GfLarnWKfboerQT-iOBmZPW-79kgvPsOEDBAv4odt34DQRxVziAb/s1600/IMG_8031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoaacXDSzLed4mh3wBjRhLqd51AD6IfRK4RkBl1zHnJ1oWgM-fCUS2tVEtpnb6FuxBKNiOf0HXTYWSPQICUiPYGs0GfLarnWKfboerQT-iOBmZPW-79kgvPsOEDBAv4odt34DQRxVziAb/s1600/IMG_8031.jpg" height="335" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's also likely I would have missed the chipping of the Hermit Thrush. He was chipping, wing-twittering and cocking his tail, all at the same time as I watched through my binoculars. Cocking that rust-colored tail and letting it fall slowly is a characteristic behavior of the species and sometimes helps with identification. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yPpQgblulFGKCe9Vq0rY21PuqXqIm3rNwf58WV3UqpAQEed880zG3HA4YP47VpLnEJqFAmHBVY8LSHqBHMXjhwbAREtouoNBryfx4KNavFvav15YB3ykhRA5zb5PDv-Fq-W1MvoWC83L/s1600/IMG_8035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yPpQgblulFGKCe9Vq0rY21PuqXqIm3rNwf58WV3UqpAQEed880zG3HA4YP47VpLnEJqFAmHBVY8LSHqBHMXjhwbAREtouoNBryfx4KNavFvav15YB3ykhRA5zb5PDv-Fq-W1MvoWC83L/s1600/IMG_8035.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
This Hermit Thrush likes to hang out around the feeders and every now and then, hop up on the suet plate to grab a crumb of home-made suet. Quiet and secretive, he runs through the garden in starts and stops on dainty pinkish legs, hunting for insects. At other times, like this one, he lands on a low-lying limb and makes thrushy chip notes in the shadows.<br />
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Winter brings a lot of fun birds and is a great time to watch for visiting species. It's also a good time to practice <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2011/09/sketching-hummingbirds-in-flight.html" target="_blank">fast sketching</a>! I lasted about 30 minutes!Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-13311984034957020592015-01-18T11:57:00.000-05:002015-01-18T13:46:04.078-05:00Polar Bears on the Hudson Bay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>When to Use Your Camera</b>:</div>
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When there's no time to sketch. </div>
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When the subject is moving so fast that you need to freeze the action </div>
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For intricate features, lighting or details</div>
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<i> abrieviated from David Rankin's book, Fast Sketching Techniques</i></div>
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In David's book, he includes a few more reasons but I think the above are the ones I relate to the most. I would add, "when you want to see more than your eye or your binoculars can reveal".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ5Kf39IW9njFI2dvIeeSLw6eNxBUCrrIwif10aj-q0K1k3nl4zYyaGUA2amXQaWNXebG5ATUfVd2keXhrT_jOZboi9KDURXgj030Pi60EUh2OjvJYsazu7zj8Mybwc4yaLlvDrNp50Vw/s1600/IMG_7525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ5Kf39IW9njFI2dvIeeSLw6eNxBUCrrIwif10aj-q0K1k3nl4zYyaGUA2amXQaWNXebG5ATUfVd2keXhrT_jOZboi9KDURXgj030Pi60EUh2OjvJYsazu7zj8Mybwc4yaLlvDrNp50Vw/s1600/IMG_7525.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
To my naked eye, and even through my binoculars, this beautiful female Polar Bear appeared to be simply walking, wandering through the tundra vegetation sniffing. To my surprise, when I viewed an image taken with my 400 mm lens and zoomed in to take an even closer look, she was actually pulling and chewing grass.<br />
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I found this delightful. Female Polar Bears fast during the summer and fall months, while they are denning and nursing their cubs. They live off of the layer of blubber that they have stored beneath their black skin. The blubber both insulates them from the cold and provides nutrition during months when there is no sea ice. It also provides the fat-rich milk that nourishes their cubs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAjalbC1rl1ozodfPj8uZza7NAEmPDm35knVvcGPUIHuudx3GOQCG3BwzOtRo1kQjZjpZHwmltBjlVmVWIsxS07GiLE-CE3-VZUj5-DRl3fTaOI-6cA_HhS8xHZgH8YivC3u-5FN-9g8r/s1600/IMG_7530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAjalbC1rl1ozodfPj8uZza7NAEmPDm35knVvcGPUIHuudx3GOQCG3BwzOtRo1kQjZjpZHwmltBjlVmVWIsxS07GiLE-CE3-VZUj5-DRl3fTaOI-6cA_HhS8xHZgH8YivC3u-5FN-9g8r/s1600/IMG_7530.jpg" height="486" width="640" /></a></div>
My trip to <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2015/01/polar-bears-on-hudson-bay.html" target="_blank">Churchill, Manitoba</a>, provided for only one day on the tundra. I wanted to internalize that experience as much as possible and observe everything I could about the bears' behavior. She slept. She nuzzled her cubs. She moved slowly, conserving energy. She stood upright to her full height and sniffed the air. Her fur appeared soft and thick. Her walk was a fluid movement--and though there is no known nutritional value for her, she chewed grass--while she and her cubs waited for sea ice to freeze on the Hudson Bay. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rMpg2wFwM1qFqRlAOIFBFcHus5SyiHN3Nf7A6B5ZWxOxJqiSiVcvTSOD5U5S34FjaoObAp0oeVyH4TDBBHOuLfN5OolXjXmuZNAtCUZXuZNNzHBJhYswZY0R2O3a-w7g3oBaO26E2qci/s1600/IMG_7539_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rMpg2wFwM1qFqRlAOIFBFcHus5SyiHN3Nf7A6B5ZWxOxJqiSiVcvTSOD5U5S34FjaoObAp0oeVyH4TDBBHOuLfN5OolXjXmuZNAtCUZXuZNNzHBJhYswZY0R2O3a-w7g3oBaO26E2qci/s1600/IMG_7539_2.jpg" height="442" width="640" /></a></div>
My images remind me of what I experienced and are my guide to sketching. I'm still practicing these subtle bear shapes and enjoying the recall of watching this female with her cubs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxCAKt_aRayuQK2OVsndOL5cLkju7CauOMmleCCDP3Xry0-4nuAOlrPz1Asbm2aluCBgbuiUIdeezphrMx1Q9Mlm0ouzkGnhHMv5nxEHNxro6U7CNzJNO9GuafoJRVklyJYV31zN60nwA/s1600/IMG_3730_adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxCAKt_aRayuQK2OVsndOL5cLkju7CauOMmleCCDP3Xry0-4nuAOlrPz1Asbm2aluCBgbuiUIdeezphrMx1Q9Mlm0ouzkGnhHMv5nxEHNxro6U7CNzJNO9GuafoJRVklyJYV31zN60nwA/s1600/IMG_3730_adj.jpg" height="472" width="640" /></a></div>
Polar Bears are marine mammals and carnivores, at home in the water as much as on land. They rely heavily on the ecosystem that nourishes ringed seals which in turn, provide the nutrition and blubber that Polar Bears require to survive. Sea ice is vital to bear hunting, resting, warmth and breeding. <br />
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For more about Polar Bears and my journey to Churchill, visit <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/Journey%20to%20Churchill" target="_blank">Journey to Churchill</a> at Vickie Henderson Art.<br />
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Click here for Part 1--<a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2015/01/polar-bears-on-hudson-bay.html" target="_blank">Polar Bears on the Hudson Bay</a></div>
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Link to my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSunE5bFxRU" target="_blank">Polar Bear video</a></div>
<a href="http://www.esa.org/esa/" target="_blank">Ecological Society of America</a><br />
<a href="http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/14-1129.1" target="_blank">Ecological Applications report of decline of Polar Bears</a><br />
<a href="http://www.railtraveltours.com/content/hudson-bay-buggies-bears-roundtrip-winnipeg" target="_blank">Hudson Bay Buggies and Bears</a> with Rail Travel Tours<br />
<a href="http://www.churchillscience.ca/about/churchill-polar-bears.cfm" target="_blank">Learn about Polar Bears</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Bay" target="_blank">Hudson Bay</a><br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@58.770417,-94.166894,3a,75y,26h,90t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1s538b9XBDSSIAAAQJOMj22g!2e0!3e2!6m1!1e1?hl=en" target="_blank">Eskimo Museum</a><br />
<a href="http://www.churchillscience.ca/about/history-of-churchill.cfm" target="_blank">History of Churchill</a> from Churchill Science<br />
<a href="http://www.everythingchurchill.com/about-churchill/history/" target="_blank">Churchill History</a><br />
the impact of <a href="http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_arctic_sea_ice_declines_polar_bear_patrol_gets_busy/2497/" target="_blank">sea ice decline</a><br />
<br />Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-74526770765881412842014-12-21T15:55:00.000-05:002015-01-09T14:16:28.572-05:00Spruce Grouse Sketch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The nickname for Spruce Grouse is "fool's hen". These ground-foraging birds are described as behaving as if they are tame. The irony is Spruce Grouse inhabit northern coniferous forests in such remote areas that research on the species only spans about 30 years. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmarvRwbLmkAKOOdGAh_O0RgrE7Tv01D96pBKtL8N9CezGmSei59YKUR5iKoWHAr72s_AXZEEK8RQUIPSPCN7F_fW_Yfg06U1BGN57ZAnEIHWAOKtoxr8vZAV2U-KCV4xGsj4S5qGp2B-X/s1600/IMG_5962_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmarvRwbLmkAKOOdGAh_O0RgrE7Tv01D96pBKtL8N9CezGmSei59YKUR5iKoWHAr72s_AXZEEK8RQUIPSPCN7F_fW_Yfg06U1BGN57ZAnEIHWAOKtoxr8vZAV2U-KCV4xGsj4S5qGp2B-X/s1600/IMG_5962_3.jpg" height="458" width="640" /></a></div>
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On my recent trip to Manitoba to see Polar Bears in Churchill, I went birding with friends at Riding Mountain National Park and enjoyed a great experience watching a flock of grouse foraging. We spotted six of them, a group of males and females.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRx7wmklQt30_UcLugpBlzpwKG-DA1HBrkNzmvmUXTbmqO53PZppYhtcBIDLz81uaV58O6kaBVcDqw3ElZh8WAzykHZzy0_4Kv-og5wO_2X-0UOY5rujPVBMATdXkBiU-SVaQAwkaf6WA/s1600/IMG_1404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRx7wmklQt30_UcLugpBlzpwKG-DA1HBrkNzmvmUXTbmqO53PZppYhtcBIDLz81uaV58O6kaBVcDqw3ElZh8WAzykHZzy0_4Kv-og5wO_2X-0UOY5rujPVBMATdXkBiU-SVaQAwkaf6WA/s1600/IMG_1404.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, they immediately scattered when we stopped, some running into the woods, others flying into spruce limbs. The species' ability to remain still for long periods and the excellent camouflage quality of its plumage combine to help it avoid predators.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS_249AN311bmJKLmPesXZHwcZla3BPLGqMf6ip1udaCOXQ6U4XfSaNRar4sR0M_iC6MeJyZ9NzzW6GT-BBIDxzjF1Um4gjdBdO5gHS7CSCmG7CUmEY_fxgPLCG2bxD86B3Vu1sWck9vo/s1600/IMG_5940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS_249AN311bmJKLmPesXZHwcZla3BPLGqMf6ip1udaCOXQ6U4XfSaNRar4sR0M_iC6MeJyZ9NzzW6GT-BBIDxzjF1Um4gjdBdO5gHS7CSCmG7CUmEY_fxgPLCG2bxD86B3Vu1sWck9vo/s1600/IMG_5940.jpg" height="468" width="640" /></a></div>
When a Spruce Grouse remains still, it is very hard to see, disappearing almost completely into the shadows of the environment. As we stood still photographing the birds at close range, one by one they rejoined each other again as a flock and began foraging all around us. The forest floor felt like a soft sponge under my feet, cushioned by peat moss and pine needles. I felt as though I was walking with a group of tamed chickens as they pulled rose hips and berries off stems. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pydcCKCvNhTIGN66D6wZIkBGr4wHjcBI2a-iZJhfiohpPR5GWCSSYV_C8hdfJkxoTvmYZS9mB4UJB0RTU8Crvc3jkpoi72SGF3Uj-3J-H7SBhDcEnFmUK4PWmF_vNV3gE5Kq4NL004cU/s1600/IMG_5949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pydcCKCvNhTIGN66D6wZIkBGr4wHjcBI2a-iZJhfiohpPR5GWCSSYV_C8hdfJkxoTvmYZS9mB4UJB0RTU8Crvc3jkpoi72SGF3Uj-3J-H7SBhDcEnFmUK4PWmF_vNV3gE5Kq4NL004cU/s1600/IMG_5949.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
This sketch included a lot of exploration and I immediately wished I had used watercolor paper. <br />
The sketch is created on Canson 9 x 12 all media paper which is fairly strong but it won't take the changes that Arches cold press watercolor paper will tolerate. The blue on the bird is ultramarine darkened with burnt sienna and sepia, although it looks more blue here than the actual sketch. Creating this sketch gave me practice in creating the suggestion of feathers, as well as, a review of mixing greens. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWrrkLR1yLTIy0lVE6fA6ltcPbqqtOuc22gZi1UBHfjAxVBPRqjPIkVMMTxjhSRDXsF3M91kaPs6a85uQYTg2uhViEI-iQXMdyzUnGXe6yQ3yihTj8HTXDVTY7qB4EaInPs89aVzmLOXN/s1600/IMG_5959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWrrkLR1yLTIy0lVE6fA6ltcPbqqtOuc22gZi1UBHfjAxVBPRqjPIkVMMTxjhSRDXsF3M91kaPs6a85uQYTg2uhViEI-iQXMdyzUnGXe6yQ3yihTj8HTXDVTY7qB4EaInPs89aVzmLOXN/s1600/IMG_5959.jpg" height="468" width="640" /></a></div>
I started out using ultramarine with arylide and the resulting greens were not cool or bright enough. I like to use the same blues throughout, but I switched to phtalo blue with arylide to create the green and this combination was more to my liking and more closely resembled the colors of the flora on the forest floor. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LHtA1TfGtKuqB74D_lRtz-4-TAK6hTsq-qPOwttHXovFo66XPuORhnlXvbPmZXjdIVaOcRsQBoZiKkqSSlQcu4HGxZJ6OqunmZdKUKJTjPwdWjCFOiNpsI_bu7LVUUSo6Ph9o3ivct1j/s1600/IMG_5961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LHtA1TfGtKuqB74D_lRtz-4-TAK6hTsq-qPOwttHXovFo66XPuORhnlXvbPmZXjdIVaOcRsQBoZiKkqSSlQcu4HGxZJ6OqunmZdKUKJTjPwdWjCFOiNpsI_bu7LVUUSo6Ph9o3ivct1j/s1600/IMG_5961.jpg" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
I added a wash of diluted ultramarine blue as a layer over part of the background to help unify the yellows and greens with the blue in the main subject. It also helped the sketch look less cluttered.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjE9GpIok5MIbr1wcHs8_H2rgvIelQZk_5KNUgpztHFYrHFvTBDbIcxOX6qNR_ixWz76dJ_iryGOPtOwgsfp5ciMa6QgkchKtvedoTbLsOS-y_Cv7ohHap3A2JTReiAyDqWVANXrNjzGJ/s1600/IMG_5964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjE9GpIok5MIbr1wcHs8_H2rgvIelQZk_5KNUgpztHFYrHFvTBDbIcxOX6qNR_ixWz76dJ_iryGOPtOwgsfp5ciMa6QgkchKtvedoTbLsOS-y_Cv7ohHap3A2JTReiAyDqWVANXrNjzGJ/s1600/IMG_5964.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
One of the many benefits of practice--if you've forgotten it, here's where you remember. If you didn't know it, here's a safe place to discover it! <br />
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Wishing you a Happy Holiday season and hoping you will find some relaxing moments for sketching and painting!<br />
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To see more images of Spruce Grouse and read more about the journey that took me to see them, visit my blog posts on my journey to <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/Journey%20to%20Churchill" target="_blank">Churchill to see Polar Bears</a> at Vickie Henderson Art. Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-7160267222812900102014-12-12T20:19:00.000-05:002014-12-13T08:43:22.092-05:00Stretching Your Creative Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some projects serve many purposes! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9JoIYl9wyEu0Wdo0xsj_acULGJj2SRBGDhuOzz4ehaOKdqoPXECtfZvBhL8EaZx8uAXAF4N8dmHSGeyevqckwkt-mh2tso2HI9btCCY1DT17WYrpI_90lsJT2jYj3NiTqf-uZtC-zEtZ/s1600/IMG_5575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9JoIYl9wyEu0Wdo0xsj_acULGJj2SRBGDhuOzz4ehaOKdqoPXECtfZvBhL8EaZx8uAXAF4N8dmHSGeyevqckwkt-mh2tso2HI9btCCY1DT17WYrpI_90lsJT2jYj3NiTqf-uZtC-zEtZ/s1600/IMG_5575.jpg" height="486" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have never painted on this type of surface before--sleek, round, three-dimensional--nor used acrylic paints enough to know much about their qualities. The surface of my <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2012/01/gourd-art-pyrography-or-wood-burning.html" target="_blank">gourd art</a> is the only experience I could relate to this project, and that wasn't very helpful because of the difference in the surface. As I began, it was one of those times I asked myself, "what were you thinking?!"</div>
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The request to decorate this ornament came from one of the park rangers at Seven Islands State Birding Park and the ornament now hangs on the center-peice Christmas tree at the governor's mansion among 56 ornaments contributed by our state parks representing Tennesseee's "landscapes and creativity" during this holiday season. Quite an honor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHoZwcPrndKcSpqrh4ijKswt9HFVhJq-OPv-8G0zCkoG9kCllYIwtLsXhOh1O6O2ylqos225EtJ0Cumz2T1_zd8UmE31CWUnDH0vsjQ3oXWN-8n5nrjmphB2YGpGn0qGtnaNwr5Us7dGH/s1600/IMG_5362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHoZwcPrndKcSpqrh4ijKswt9HFVhJq-OPv-8G0zCkoG9kCllYIwtLsXhOh1O6O2ylqos225EtJ0Cumz2T1_zd8UmE31CWUnDH0vsjQ3oXWN-8n5nrjmphB2YGpGn0qGtnaNwr5Us7dGH/s1600/IMG_5362.jpg" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
The pull for me to say 'yes' and venture into this unknown territory--I love the park and spend many early morning hours there with the bird banding team. Seven Islands became a state park in 2014 and Tennessee's first state park to be designated a birding park. By "unknown", I mean, I didn't know what the ornament was made of or its shape or texture until weeks after saying yes when I received it in the mail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvVF-duLclhri4FSs50B8SvmeU9hVNC9QLyFlaFZCaA2SVR6PSGNPd8I8LbTyMkeMeukK81ZftC9qO9N9qwS0hzhK18ErfckPGp0eq3_I7ZtGTsKKhSHQcxBsvGw5hJK8INtaf1QedKGG/s1600/IMG_5429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvVF-duLclhri4FSs50B8SvmeU9hVNC9QLyFlaFZCaA2SVR6PSGNPd8I8LbTyMkeMeukK81ZftC9qO9N9qwS0hzhK18ErfckPGp0eq3_I7ZtGTsKKhSHQcxBsvGw5hJK8INtaf1QedKGG/s1600/IMG_5429.jpg" height="608" width="640" /></a></div>
Since every artist goes through moments of doubt and mistakes when trying something new, I thought I would share a note I wrote in my journal while working on the ornament.<br />
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6:08 a.m. "I have so much resistance to starting when there is a deadline and someone else to please--otherwise, I can discard what I don't like. It's the "have to get this done and it has to be good" pressure that keeps me frozen. (12:30 p.m. the same day.) Well, it's happening as I feared--it is a total mess. I just stuck the ornament under the faucet and scrubbed off all the paint and then watched an acrylic blending video online and also read some more info about using acrylics. I awoke too early and I'm tired. I'm stuck but I need to finish this. This ornament is making writing my book feel easy by comparison! Now, what I really need to do is focus--one decision at a time--choose one background color, sketch the bird, use my watercolor pencil to divide it into sections, mark the horizon line. I'm determined to do this horizon thing..."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp7N1qKeLS-JDZHD8XH30ETuV3Sg37mv7xmk6AB0yXPXyC81ijzMC6wYLYjuqu5uOjm63DJ5xwbKbbEKGVCtKVz1n1tBOP6mQ2UWMb-jCBO1fhIC3K9nvCilOEvA_7SyWugnXTNIrUal7/s1600/IMG_5441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp7N1qKeLS-JDZHD8XH30ETuV3Sg37mv7xmk6AB0yXPXyC81ijzMC6wYLYjuqu5uOjm63DJ5xwbKbbEKGVCtKVz1n1tBOP6mQ2UWMb-jCBO1fhIC3K9nvCilOEvA_7SyWugnXTNIrUal7/s1600/IMG_5441.jpg" height="508" width="640" /></a></div>
Something else important happened along with the scrubbing off paint. My tension softened, and by taking a break to journal, I gained some important emotional distance that helped me sort through what I needed to do next.<br />
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Launching into a project with a deadline and with very little experience to guide the way can be stressful. I made my big blunder right in the beginning. The ornament wasn't ruined and even though the first application of paint did not come off completely, I was back to a smooth surface and could start again with a new approach. Art is like that sometimes. Our efforts begin in chaos, but as the mind integrates mistakes and turns them into useful information, order rises up and moves us forward. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35tubFx8x7ofsN9hfI54kv7c1Pm35NMf5Yqo830icEau8RPpEeUdvDhN6P-Ss8xugyW6ZoNPDx4NxM5Y5bThS35ug75YMnoC9NrUCvCKunrevrfGhu77Hw82UAr3905yfrV42n7bOV3Fi/s1600/IMG_5465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35tubFx8x7ofsN9hfI54kv7c1Pm35NMf5Yqo830icEau8RPpEeUdvDhN6P-Ss8xugyW6ZoNPDx4NxM5Y5bThS35ug75YMnoC9NrUCvCKunrevrfGhu77Hw82UAr3905yfrV42n7bOV3Fi/s1600/IMG_5465.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
Though I use reference images to help with details, my many hours of observing birds always comes in handy while painting. I looked at the bird after roughing-in some detail and kept thinking, something isn't quite right. I pulled out my field guides and compared the features. Individual sparrows have variations in color and markings, but there are field marks that will be fairly consistent between individuals of a species. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYEoRRd0hQy3MRpuiIbyybSuEmE9B4aBoBLGhPiXD9ZLjc9zlG44YplZUsugsaHedPVmS-bp2JLV7XfNSHlD0t8OOFlh_uOVjyPLd3sQ6RCnHnLkQp1J1ojV3LMbR93IQUWWNYwUFo95N/s1600/merge_72+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYEoRRd0hQy3MRpuiIbyybSuEmE9B4aBoBLGhPiXD9ZLjc9zlG44YplZUsugsaHedPVmS-bp2JLV7XfNSHlD0t8OOFlh_uOVjyPLd3sQ6RCnHnLkQp1J1ojV3LMbR93IQUWWNYwUFo95N/s1600/merge_72+copy.jpg" height="286" width="640" /></a></div>
As a fun exercise, see how many differences you can find between the initial sparrow image on the left and the final result. While I was looking for specific details in the crown stripe, I noticed other details as I examined the field guides. Observations are recorded through our eyes and stored as wholistic images in our memory. Sometimes we remember detail. Other times, we just know something isn't right.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGK09C4P94vO7t3uy8kntN9aqv4P5p7KJUxPAixtUDol8Vo_ZCadaIah5y4j2J-ptitLfLWS5wVY7ntK7t5FFUFEDfC2xsRrWOdpGuszi2JXef81chZVvPaM5djElvJf_IG-OTvPSac7z/s1600/IMG_5493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGK09C4P94vO7t3uy8kntN9aqv4P5p7KJUxPAixtUDol8Vo_ZCadaIah5y4j2J-ptitLfLWS5wVY7ntK7t5FFUFEDfC2xsRrWOdpGuszi2JXef81chZVvPaM5djElvJf_IG-OTvPSac7z/s1600/IMG_5493.jpg" height="508" width="640" /></a></div>
I selected the White-crowned Sparrow because it is one of the wintering sparrows that seeks out the shrubby, grassland habitat at Seven Islands State Birding Park. You can see this bird in my post on bird banding at Vickie Henderson Art: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-day-of-beautiful-sparrows-seven.html" target="_blank">A Day of Beautiful Sparrows</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaQ0UWHhj0ddng7_My3glncADzj6u1GcGlEVnD9c_PbEWA-7_PUrCndJKNFOX9YJ9yY0-H435TGGJvkC5bFS1C1TRQzpu_y5KeVi4UnLoWUXVGVxUPaDM20pkAlADosiPwIoVHAvfwCxl/s1600/IMG_5494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaQ0UWHhj0ddng7_My3glncADzj6u1GcGlEVnD9c_PbEWA-7_PUrCndJKNFOX9YJ9yY0-H435TGGJvkC5bFS1C1TRQzpu_y5KeVi4UnLoWUXVGVxUPaDM20pkAlADosiPwIoVHAvfwCxl/s1600/IMG_5494.jpg" height="522" width="640" /></a></div>
I was introduced to this sparrow and several others in 2009 when I began to visit the banding station at the refuge. The inspiration for the scene on the ornament comes from those early morning sunrises at Seven Islands when the birds start chirping and stirring around. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz2I0uTxiXib6RB7j3IUSEEvYTRLLeTpVpNnlWiaV8gcpVZDn3t8RZ8CJTp-iXWs3-14sQAl8uv6tGsk2C2vWGTo7Y8pDFwkotHB2dcSwk2ZXyFhbuVslwnm_aHATJ16PdFp1Se9AzKTJ/s1600/field+sparrow_1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz2I0uTxiXib6RB7j3IUSEEvYTRLLeTpVpNnlWiaV8gcpVZDn3t8RZ8CJTp-iXWs3-14sQAl8uv6tGsk2C2vWGTo7Y8pDFwkotHB2dcSwk2ZXyFhbuVslwnm_aHATJ16PdFp1Se9AzKTJ/s1600/field+sparrow_1000.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
A sketch of a Field Sparrow on dried wingstem that I created in 2009 gave me my guide for the stems and seed pods. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUKHjk6Ev6FhT6Om706jqNwmbzgP3PMSdHSMNbkq7ojkFHOKYVviwVg4Iy_-ENfDxBykPLDwrK4EdIEgzLVG8_aToSQe2q6YlpTQnNmPdsBOt3SnzQnj8_s3zpGxLumM5mak3vpzirHze/s1600/10402782_10203165780480791_7326724376649510129_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUKHjk6Ev6FhT6Om706jqNwmbzgP3PMSdHSMNbkq7ojkFHOKYVviwVg4Iy_-ENfDxBykPLDwrK4EdIEgzLVG8_aToSQe2q6YlpTQnNmPdsBOt3SnzQnj8_s3zpGxLumM5mak3vpzirHze/s1600/10402782_10203165780480791_7326724376649510129_n.jpg" height="554" width="640" /></a></div>
The ornament was finished with an acrylic coating that gave it an iridescent sparkle and a soft glow. Happy ending to a creative adventure!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dickblick.com/products/golden-heavy-body-artist-acrylic-sets/" target="_blank">Golden Artist Acrylic</a> tube paints<br />
<a href="http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/acrylic-paints-and-mediums/liquitex-acrylics-and-mediums/liquitex-acrylic-effects-mediums.htm" target="_blank">Liquitex Professional Iridescent Medium</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/bird%20banding" target="_blank">Bird Banding at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge</a>--now Seven Islands State Birding Park<br />
<a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2013/09/seven-islands-becomes-tennessees-first.html" target="_blank">Seven Islands becomes Tennessee first State Birding Park</a> and <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2013/09/common-yellowthroat-painting.html" target="_blank">the Painting</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search?q=mark+armstrong" target="_blank">Mark Armstrong-Master Bander</a><br />
Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KnoxvilleTOS" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SevenIslandsStateBirdingPark" target="_blank">Seven Islands State Birding Park on Facebook</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-78165051976172341902014-11-30T22:26:00.002-05:002014-12-01T08:52:00.392-05:00So Where Have I Been since July?!Though, I knew I hadn't posted a blog here in a while, it was a shock to see that my last post was July! Thank you loyal readers for still being here!<br />
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After the July post about the Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival, I was busy getting ready for the festival, an annual event sponsored by the <a href="http://www.tnbirds.org/KTOS.html" target="_blank">Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society </a>and Ijams Nature Center. This was our festival's fourth year! You can see my blog posts about the festival at: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/Wonder%20of%20Hummingbirds%20Festival-2014" target="_blank">2014 Hummingbird Festival</a>.<br />
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In this post I want to show you what the club has done with my <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2011/09/hummingbird-studies-movement-and-light.html" target="_blank">simple little sketch </a>that was so playful and had no original purpose other than practice!<br />
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This is a fun collection of images taken at the 2014 Festival. I personally had surprises this year. I didn't know about the two long banners, one welcoming visitors, the second identifying the location of the banding station (shown below), until I arrived at the festival and saw them! My reaction was, "wow"!<br />
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The logo was also printed on T-shirts worn by festival volunteers, T-shirts sold to visitors, and decorated a variety of signs, festival brochures and promotional information.<br />
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A fun feast for my eyes! I became acquainted with our local bird club through a <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/2009%20hummingbird%20banding" target="_blank">hummingbird-banding demonstration</a> KTOS held at Ijams in 2009. This was the beginning of the festival that now benefits two non-profit organizations that educate our community about nature, conservation and, of course, hummingbirds! There couldn't be a happier project for my hummingbird sketch to promote!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqiUsyH9bs4zYFSnJg2EkK3IWWHSz1wIE7G5gWG9mIZHlb6acyIHw5zo6HhDcwtb6j5GOaqG7g288Zs2YZYjQkGUW-SvrSKPVGxyqHsCLlUOzxQiUjk9lQdDgtwKEV8xB5TtdYI96UJQ/s1600/10426122_690211237732212_6023741810490648011_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqiUsyH9bs4zYFSnJg2EkK3IWWHSz1wIE7G5gWG9mIZHlb6acyIHw5zo6HhDcwtb6j5GOaqG7g288Zs2YZYjQkGUW-SvrSKPVGxyqHsCLlUOzxQiUjk9lQdDgtwKEV8xB5TtdYI96UJQ/s1600/10426122_690211237732212_6023741810490648011_n.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
That's me, exhibiting my art at the festival! Photo credit: Jody Stone<br />
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Coming up: An ornament for the Governor's Mansion, a trip to Churchill MB to see polar bears! and another art project dear to my heart, <a href="http://discoverbirds.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Discover Birds</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://wonderofhummingbirdsfestival.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival blog</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KTOSWONDEOFHUMMERS" target="_blank">Wonder of Hummingbirds on facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tnbirds.org/KTOS.html" target="_blank">Knoxville Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2011/09/hummingbird-studies-movement-and-light.html" target="_blank">Hummingbird Studies--Movement and Light</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2011/09/sketching-hummingbirds-in-flight.html" target="_blank">Sketching Hummingbirds in Flight!</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2010/08/tripling-fun-of-painting.html" target="_blank">Hummingbird and Downy</a><br />
Visit my <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/shop.php?shopcategory=Prints" target="_blank">prints </a> and<a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/shop.php?shopcategory=Notecards" target="_blank"> art cards</a> on my merchandise page at my website, <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/" target="_blank">Vickie Henderson Art</a>.Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-87784550355627848742014-07-05T19:38:00.004-04:002014-07-05T19:39:38.556-04:002014 Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival--Saturday, August 23rd!Mark your calendars! Make plans to come to Knoxville's Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival on August 23rd, 2014. This beautiful rack card, created by Mindy Fawver, features my hummingbird art and gives the highlights of festival events. <br />
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You will find more details about speakers, exhibits, festival events and directions at the <a href="http://wonderofhummingbirdsfestival.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival </a>blog!<br />
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<a href="http://wonderofhummingbirdsfestival.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/Wonder%20of%20Hummingbirds%20Festival" target="_blank">Wonder of Hummingbirds Festivals past</a><br />
2014 <a href="http://wonderofhummingbirdsfestival.blogspot.com/p/2014-speakers.html" target="_blank">Event speakers</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search?q=mark+armstrong" target="_blank">Mark Armstrong and hummingbird banding</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-21276169116394549662014-05-09T05:00:00.000-04:002014-05-09T05:00:05.895-04:00A Great New Publication about Hummingbird GardeningJust in time for the return of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, a new publication is available free as a pdf download! I am excited to have my hummingbird image of a juvenile Ruby-throat nectaring a Cardinal Flower featured on the cover and three more images on the inside pages!<br />
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<i><b>Hummingbird Gardening in Tennessee</b></i> is published by the <a href="https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture</a>. The book is co-authored by Marcia Davis, Master Gardener, member of the Knoxville bird club (<a href="http://www.tnbirds.org/KTOS.html" target="_blank">Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society</a>) and the Bird Life columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel, and Emily Gonzalez of the UT Extension. <br />
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The fifteen page booklet is full of useful information about creating hummingbird habitat in your garden and lists the kinds of flowers and native plants that are particularly attractive to hummingbirds.<br />
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The free pdf can be downloaded from this link: <a href="https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W305.pdf" target="_blank">Hummingbird Gardening in Tennessee</a>.<br />
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Links and resources:<br />
<a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search?q=hummingbird" target="_blank">Hummingbird art</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/shop.php?shopcategory=Notecards" target="_blank">Hummingbird Notes</a><br />
More about <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search?q=ruby-throated+hummingbird" target="_blank">Ruby-throated Hummingbirds</a><br />
<a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search?q=wintering+hummingbirds" target="_blank">Tennessee's wintering hummingbirds</a><br />
<br />Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-70320418205537369422014-05-03T05:00:00.001-04:002021-10-30T23:44:06.805-04:00The Whooping Crane Story in Art and Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The images from each of the four <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/Whooping%20Crane%20art" target="_blank">paintings</a> were transferred to individual banners and together they tell the story of the eastern Whooping Crane re-introduction. </div>
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The banners celebrate the <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2014/04/whooping-crane-art-for-smithsonian.html" target="_blank">National Zoo's Whooping Crane Exhibit</a> and are featured along the walkway at the entrance and exit of the exhibit. Above, the images are in story order representing: 1) Hatched with care, 2) Flying South, 3) Returning North, and 4) A New Spring.</div>
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"Returning North", watercolor by Vickie Henderson<br /><br />
To see all my posts on the Smithsonian National Zoo project visit: <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/Whooping%20Crane%20art" target="_blank">Whooping Crane art</a><br />
More about my involvement with the Whooping Crane reintroduction at: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/whooping%20crane%20ultralight%20migration" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Migration</a> from my companion blog, <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vickie Henderson Art</a><br />
Whooping Crane art: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/GalleryHome.php?g=Whooping%20Cranes%20in%20Watercolor" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Watercolor Gallery</a><br /><br />Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-77799299237746157812014-04-28T05:00:00.001-04:002014-04-28T05:00:05.146-04:00A New Spring--Hope for the Future of Whooping CranesHere is the finished painting, "A New Spring", representing the hope that the eastern reintroduced whooping cranes will pair and reproduce their own young. (See <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2014/04/whooping-crane-art-tells-migration-story.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for progression of painting.) Once this population is self-sustaining, that is, increasing its numbers by raising chicks in the wild, we will have more assurance that wild Whooping Cranes will be safe from extinction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUJ66dgYTF5fteESDbDQpW_QoFx_GTGpiEJrudHGP3iP_Y6vs5i71I4UHmWFPmw41z6HciE4KcizS-IRGf8vmJetoBAdCWJsYgjEz4QjAAI3tCAvo_rVJu1pUFxhRxyd4kD5q9heA1SMQ/s1600/IMG_2238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUJ66dgYTF5fteESDbDQpW_QoFx_GTGpiEJrudHGP3iP_Y6vs5i71I4UHmWFPmw41z6HciE4KcizS-IRGf8vmJetoBAdCWJsYgjEz4QjAAI3tCAvo_rVJu1pUFxhRxyd4kD5q9heA1SMQ/s1600/IMG_2238.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
The painting has become one of the four images representing the Whooping Crane reintroduction story on the banners decorating the entrance and exit to the Whooping Crane exhibit at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.<br />
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Photo credit: Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park<br />
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In my last post I mentioned that the image in this painting was inspired by my observations of Whooping Crane parents caring for their chick during its first six days at the International Crane Foundation in 2005. That was the first time a pair of Whooping Cranes had raised a chick in public view. While I was there, I called my videographer friend, <a href="http://solterra.us/AboutJeff.html" target="_blank">Jeff Huxman</a>, and asked if he knew this was happening! He came right away and took some video images of the chick. I thought you would enjoy seeing a little bit of what it was like to enjoy these intimate moments with the Whooping Crane Family. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wXW0Xs51Apw" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Next: The four finished images<br />
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To see all my posts on the Smithsonian National Zoo project visit: <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/Whooping%20Crane%20art" target="_blank">Whooping Crane art</a><br />
More about my involvement with the Whooping Crane reintroduction at: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/whooping%20crane%20ultralight%20migration" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Migration</a> from my companion blog, <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vickie Henderson Art</a><br />
More of my Whooping Crane art: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/GalleryHome.php?g=Whooping%20Cranes%20in%20Watercolor" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Watercolor Gallery</a><br />
Organizations that help Whooping Cranes:<br />
<a href="http://www.operationmigration.org/" target="_blank">Operation Migration</a><br />
<a href="https://www.savingcranes.org/" target="_blank">International Crane Foundation</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-53641774163243367462014-04-24T05:00:00.000-04:002014-04-24T21:57:55.365-04:00Whooping Crane Art Tells the Migration Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"A New Spring", below, depicts a Whooping Crane parent taking care of its chick. The world's Whooping Crane population reached a low of only 15 birds in 1941 and it took many years to discover the nesting grounds of the original wild population of Whooping Cranes. The eastern reintroduction of Whooping Cranes is helping to insure the survival of this magnificent species. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkYLueVOum2gXoSAdfao7K7iaJpDhboO4zt7tiQWTbRS9OALFr-6h8-3crI6fL5tmnUbqvmcQtZZvya7xrGttvx_WBxb48UBhPwSDMrrxc6Q7QntDXLlKt12_TmRRIiZWJDVsNCBRZLGK/s1600/IMG_1861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkYLueVOum2gXoSAdfao7K7iaJpDhboO4zt7tiQWTbRS9OALFr-6h8-3crI6fL5tmnUbqvmcQtZZvya7xrGttvx_WBxb48UBhPwSDMrrxc6Q7QntDXLlKt12_TmRRIiZWJDVsNCBRZLGK/s1600/IMG_1861.jpg" height="640" width="508" /></a></div>
The Eastern Whooping Crane Partnership, made up of Federal, state and private organizations in the United States and Canada, began the project in 2001. The goal of the reintroduction is to establish a self-sustaining wild migrating population in the eastern United States. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLPsPrx2llnzdEow3tDv0XYMmLAxzj4bneWJidD2uTJ45v5drY4uCeSmNAgR363irPKNIrTyKM2qs3_4JJpAIVOm58_S5I4V2eCUs9oWni4gxOuJoUjSBOkA34sOkBhjmEXz8OxcfXm5Z/s1600/IMG_2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLPsPrx2llnzdEow3tDv0XYMmLAxzj4bneWJidD2uTJ45v5drY4uCeSmNAgR363irPKNIrTyKM2qs3_4JJpAIVOm58_S5I4V2eCUs9oWni4gxOuJoUjSBOkA34sOkBhjmEXz8OxcfXm5Z/s1600/IMG_2022.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
The images above show the progression of this painting, with the first image, showing the masking fluid applied to preserve the white paper, and washes of color that were <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/pouring%20watercolor" target="_blank">poured </a>and allowed to dry between pourings to achieve the background colors. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzjTIpNebHuLnuIkoWOdL-01R83VJzvFL2Ls7i7fTzAlOp1zILasln8PdUNDK0op3FK_p_sX8jomkH86Q8qGfFbuVHfSXTC5i4n9brd47aHzevr05CGH8FFSOBc09yemXY43VqIgFWpfd/s1600/IMG_2026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzjTIpNebHuLnuIkoWOdL-01R83VJzvFL2Ls7i7fTzAlOp1zILasln8PdUNDK0op3FK_p_sX8jomkH86Q8qGfFbuVHfSXTC5i4n9brd47aHzevr05CGH8FFSOBc09yemXY43VqIgFWpfd/s1600/IMG_2026.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
After applying the washes, I drew in more grass. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp3wuahmoDshwlRAGD00B0NGAK6a5ufLQslTRlgZQCPbJ6cvg3xbhZ4jH2dR0XRclxCBI1Sm9wb6_doXGSEv-TffwuCV4_d522c6rypgujYxxVTrB76555iPc5yRZvw2oelgRUyOw0CtP/s1600/IMG_2027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp3wuahmoDshwlRAGD00B0NGAK6a5ufLQslTRlgZQCPbJ6cvg3xbhZ4jH2dR0XRclxCBI1Sm9wb6_doXGSEv-TffwuCV4_d522c6rypgujYxxVTrB76555iPc5yRZvw2oelgRUyOw0CtP/s1600/IMG_2027.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
I always add some detail to my main subjects early in the painting to give my eyes a sense of how the finished colors will look and how the observer's eye will be drawn to the main subject. In particular, I watch for the contrast in values, patterns of darks and lights. Do they make the subject stand out? Do they help the eye move through the painting?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4V2sHk84Uo1NShqS1iPozw5jaxT9msJhdaOK94al3ZzTXU-A9vc35OLirq0TmS50o9646iurjqSccBAtd3edqJR8pH706xHK_DnC1bRwVuUSljpXlqweBn61KjV-Tz5a3hX4xdXMoVC74/s1600/IMG_2116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4V2sHk84Uo1NShqS1iPozw5jaxT9msJhdaOK94al3ZzTXU-A9vc35OLirq0TmS50o9646iurjqSccBAtd3edqJR8pH706xHK_DnC1bRwVuUSljpXlqweBn61KjV-Tz5a3hX4xdXMoVC74/s1600/IMG_2116.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
The image above was sketched from a photo I took of a Whooping Crane parent caring for its chick at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI, in 2005. I was fortunate enough to receive a call on the evening before this Whooping Crane chick hatched. I drove to Wisconsin and spent the next six days observing the Whooping Crane parents taking care of their first chick. You can see the images and read this story by clicking this link: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/gallery-pages/WhoopingCraneFamilyPage1.html" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Family</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBCWmvC1YTPo5fKbUoO8KggZkrnkka96O6fkXLVumYifwfz-zQ6UoURpP61se0RRJSY5YTze2lxTe4q_Y4yP7oK7DbnnlOKpJLkQ0fjR7GXwFi3nv4G4SQyjSxj8Y97LZILLZLK1FSuEM/s1600/IMG_2157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBCWmvC1YTPo5fKbUoO8KggZkrnkka96O6fkXLVumYifwfz-zQ6UoURpP61se0RRJSY5YTze2lxTe4q_Y4yP7oK7DbnnlOKpJLkQ0fjR7GXwFi3nv4G4SQyjSxj8Y97LZILLZLK1FSuEM/s1600/IMG_2157.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
Next: The finished painting<br />
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To see all my posts on this Smithsonian National Zoo project visit: <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/Whooping%20Crane%20art" target="_blank">Whooping Crane art</a><br />
More about my involvement with the Whooping Crane reintroduction at: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/search/label/whooping%20crane%20ultralight%20migration" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Migration</a> from my companion blog, <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vickie Henderson Art</a><br />
More of my Whooping Crane art: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/GalleryHome.php?g=Whooping%20Cranes%20in%20Watercolor" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Watercolor Gallery</a><br />
Organizations that help Whooping Cranes:<br />
<a href="http://www.operationmigration.org/" target="_blank">Operation Migration</a><br />
<a href="https://www.savingcranes.org/" target="_blank">International Crane Foundation</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership</a>Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584133350757271122.post-6519909291065737222014-04-19T13:34:00.000-04:002014-04-21T07:12:00.165-04:00Whooping Crane Art for the Smithsonian National ZooBig projects demand a lot of time and everything else is abandoned, I'm afraid. This is why it has taken me so long to post another blog post! I am currently working on a book project that is consuming most of my time. I will tell you more about that soon. In the meantime, I want to show you a project I completed for the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in 2013. It was such an honor to be invited to create art for this project and work with their team of experts!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgputI5O0op9y4wWjq4qQRSrxibe3VMOuNIRY0V06qFZRS2hOvD3tTQpwUvVBQRLVkIWbxOlkicpN0Vr2-qw64li6oeXzTHYIMH7eJLiod7SbeqOW8oTgmwAmxqiE6WAzCKCBsgBH2pVr/s1600/cranes+and+ultralight_final+w+added+area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgputI5O0op9y4wWjq4qQRSrxibe3VMOuNIRY0V06qFZRS2hOvD3tTQpwUvVBQRLVkIWbxOlkicpN0Vr2-qw64li6oeXzTHYIMH7eJLiod7SbeqOW8oTgmwAmxqiE6WAzCKCBsgBH2pVr/s1600/cranes+and+ultralight_final+w+added+area.jpg" height="640" width="390" /></a></div>
The park has a new Whooping Crane exhibit. The exhibit enables visitors to see one of the most endangered crane species in the world and one that only lives in North America. The watercolor above is one of four images that depict the story of the Whooping Crane's return to the eastern United States. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiluYrn5vhfROXAz2nL6Z5KYljf_Pcx48PWEM8TVSlGZLOWZ-5l21NFh32rXw3D2w8S-aOGDuzwBnXcL7_CSWfsa4OnBrJqq7LYnKiv7roS3iskdREuXVgtibGQJkGtlhzEzT_DUe5WsM/s1600/DSCN2842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiluYrn5vhfROXAz2nL6Z5KYljf_Pcx48PWEM8TVSlGZLOWZ-5l21NFh32rXw3D2w8S-aOGDuzwBnXcL7_CSWfsa4OnBrJqq7LYnKiv7roS3iskdREuXVgtibGQJkGtlhzEzT_DUe5WsM/s1600/DSCN2842.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park<br />
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Costume-reared juvenile Whooping Cranes, imprinted on ultralight aircraft and costumed pilots, learn their migration route by flying behind ultralight aircraft during their first fall migration. In the spring, they return on their own without human assistance. In this way, a separate migrating population of Whooping Cranes has been established in the east to help insure that no natural or human-made disaster can cause the loss of this species to the world. The hope is that the re-introduced Whooping Cranes will raise young and increase the eastern population.<br />
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I have not seen the exhibit in person, but, look forward to making that happen sometime this year. In the meantime, I'll show you how I approached the paintings for this project. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYlNaLIUW3MddYNt8MPemYv5WO4fk3A-rkO2f9rucLJxe4ZGNr5PC1aNhVfurphZ3qu4nIkCjVDgOEPXyp9sHuJGE4Dp-MIhjG2cBPs7okr3GZdoQhwdW7Y7IYkp7poFXAhMp1zgouSmq/s1600/IMG_1054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYlNaLIUW3MddYNt8MPemYv5WO4fk3A-rkO2f9rucLJxe4ZGNr5PC1aNhVfurphZ3qu4nIkCjVDgOEPXyp9sHuJGE4Dp-MIhjG2cBPs7okr3GZdoQhwdW7Y7IYkp7poFXAhMp1zgouSmq/s1600/IMG_1054.jpg" height="640" width="506" /></a></div>
Above you see the layout of the painting in my sketchbook. White pages are hard to photograph, so I apologize for the poor quality of some of these images. The dimensions of the final banners called for a full sheet of watercolor paper with its width reduced to correspond with the banner's proportions. This made for a tall slender painting 30" x 15" which I taped to a backboard. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wsDtCjm-BysOhVS9YQl7glrN6kJuBl_8UXL5zgJCpQnhMWfd-y2FTFExLc67XpryufPCNDnlgH99FmpCrTmBQ5WYyGwTBXbdo9i7XnMiS7WrGW4b5kuGh00fUHxa_l0kPu64jL1HAH8u/s1600/IMG_1323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wsDtCjm-BysOhVS9YQl7glrN6kJuBl_8UXL5zgJCpQnhMWfd-y2FTFExLc67XpryufPCNDnlgH99FmpCrTmBQ5WYyGwTBXbdo9i7XnMiS7WrGW4b5kuGh00fUHxa_l0kPu64jL1HAH8u/s1600/IMG_1323.jpg" height="640" width="488" /></a></div>
I decided to pour the backgrounds for these paintings to take advantange of the translucence and uniformity that can be achieved with this method, as well as, the special qualities of layered colors. Pouring required that I cover any areas I wanted to remain white with a <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/search/label/masking%20fluid" target="_blank">masking fluid</a> or resist, a rubbery solution that resists the water and pigment. Above and below, I have painted mask on the cranes and the ultralight air craft. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gr6QNDYRM0K5LE83BkxZKfEHAnPgMauwTY7rZZZvajgZdEFRRhGFN_CJRz4lQl_k9iLQStmCSTMCZbz0hRvkZX0XXRRt7bx41Qu0BSxj80P9joo8vU4fXHW3h77-vaz57b50dfFTHdgc/s1600/IMG_1324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gr6QNDYRM0K5LE83BkxZKfEHAnPgMauwTY7rZZZvajgZdEFRRhGFN_CJRz4lQl_k9iLQStmCSTMCZbz0hRvkZX0XXRRt7bx41Qu0BSxj80P9joo8vU4fXHW3h77-vaz57b50dfFTHdgc/s1600/IMG_1324.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
Once the resist dried, I prepared three pigment solutions in laundry detergent cups that I had saved for this purpose. I placed a small amount of pigment in each cup, added the amount of water desired, and mixed with a brush until the pigment was disolved. <br />
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When I pour the paint onto wet paper, I am creating a thin layer of color without the aid of a brush. The tilt of the board and the water move the pigment. Mostly, the movement happens without touching the paper, though sometimes the aid of a brush is needed to move pigment that has collected around the edge of the masking fluid. Pigment can also be moved by spraying water in the area desired. Additional water will dilute the pigment and make the value of the color lighter. <br />
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I first wet the paper and wait until the paper surface looses its shine. Pigment is then poured on the paper and the flow of pigment controlled with the board's tilt. Both the amount of water added to the pigment and length of time the pigment remains on the paper influence the color's value or how dark or light it becomes. Excess paint is poured off the paper when the desired value is reached, remembering that the paint will dry lighter than it appears when wet.<br />
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The pouring above included yellow and rose on wet paper. The paper is still wet in the image. You can see that the colors flowed vertically in the direction of the board's tilt. When more than one color is applied in the same pouring, the colors blend when they meet to create a third color in some areas. More of the rose hue is visible in the image below. <br />
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In the image above, I used burnt sienna to define the tree tops. These billowy shapes are sometimes interpreted as clouds. The ultralights can not navigate above clouds, but the entire migration and recovery effort is a magical story, so if the viewer sees clouds, that's okay too! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeECFhyphenhyphenP_6WInX1b-plo_hlAzbcMFdI5sGOd1ZCB1ftljjaKBP0KCJLfraIN-pNi0D-4Mgd_pb-GQ24ivDTtjLbfGsYShYYe_ff5u5fVTR2pramVe-l6tWo5Z9AmIYaLWtJS1zBapYAOpr/s1600/IMG_1556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeECFhyphenhyphenP_6WInX1b-plo_hlAzbcMFdI5sGOd1ZCB1ftljjaKBP0KCJLfraIN-pNi0D-4Mgd_pb-GQ24ivDTtjLbfGsYShYYe_ff5u5fVTR2pramVe-l6tWo5Z9AmIYaLWtJS1zBapYAOpr/s1600/IMG_1556.jpg" height="640" width="366" /></a></div>
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In the next pouring I used blue to create an atmospheric haze over the tree tops. Water is sprayed over the paper first and lightly spread with a brush. The thin blue mixture is then poured over the paper and encouraged to move with the angle of the board to avoid puddling. I accomplished this while holding the board over the sink to insure that the pigment continues to move. Excess pigment was caught in a paper towel in the sink. And yes, with this size painting, this was a bit awkward. I did wish for a large utility sink!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPy3Ebm9swGRQ4fi2Mt9s4vTFcD8v8mE9uf6EeHh2ut1Nw7khG00OjhA_WnUEr7KXxGNV5XY_dQG6q4N0Z7w-rEtk8XgEh2hxJX_wghUvV027MG7w-e3SZeO2_eDx46UztilAsDAo90Rty/s1600/IMG_1736_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPy3Ebm9swGRQ4fi2Mt9s4vTFcD8v8mE9uf6EeHh2ut1Nw7khG00OjhA_WnUEr7KXxGNV5XY_dQG6q4N0Z7w-rEtk8XgEh2hxJX_wghUvV027MG7w-e3SZeO2_eDx46UztilAsDAo90Rty/s1600/IMG_1736_1.jpg" height="640" width="606" /></a></div>
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A closer look at the colors. You can see some of the variation of greens, blues and purple that have been created by the layered colors. I let the paper dry completely and removed the mask with an eraser. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTs5-AyOCZnjvxMyutSv8mQGTYe7LWaZ_gIZfXr7vjLoGVnd5W3v2YUketlqZnkC7QLA2MHQJiZNom-fQBs0zEVmsTH4SpovzF_G2FDIV9cORYlDhw3vQ0i386cVHc4XePLvnC_rQ8U3ru/s1600/IMG_2215_painting1_ultralight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTs5-AyOCZnjvxMyutSv8mQGTYe7LWaZ_gIZfXr7vjLoGVnd5W3v2YUketlqZnkC7QLA2MHQJiZNom-fQBs0zEVmsTH4SpovzF_G2FDIV9cORYlDhw3vQ0i386cVHc4XePLvnC_rQ8U3ru/s1600/IMG_2215_painting1_ultralight.jpg" height="600" width="640" /></a></div>
The easiest part for me is adding the detail to the juvenile cranes. The contrast of the white and black on their wings never fails to pop and brighten all the colors around them.<br />
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Links and resources:<br />
More about <a href="http://vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com/2013/11/fun-with-fall-leaves-creating-layers.html" target="_blank">layering</a><br />
The <a href="http://nationalzoo.si.edu/" target="_blank">Smithsonian National Zoo</a><br />
To see more of my Whooping Crane art visit these links: <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/GalleryHome.php?g=Whooping%20Cranes%20in%20Watercolor&o=1" target="_blank">Whooping Cranes in Watercolor</a>, <a href="http://vickiehenderson.blogspot.com/2009/11/whooping-crane-activity-book-fun-peek.html" target="_blank">Whooping Crane Activity Book</a>, and <a href="http://vickiehenderson.com/GalleryHome.php?g=Gourd%20Art&o=1" target="_blank">Whooping Cranes </a>on gourd art.Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11301484477954719161noreply@blogger.com4