Bird Paintings

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I created this painting during a summer at a secluded lake in the Adirondack mountains of New York. Most mornings, the lake was shrouded in fog and many evenings it was enveloped in the golden light of sunset. My frequent encounters with the loons, whether from shore or from my canoe, were always thrilling. In this idyllic setting that granted time to feel and contemplate more deeply, I recognized how briefly the elements of birds, mist, color and light came together and then changed, never to be repeated. I was conscious of both the brevity and intensity of my experience; how my perception was composed of only the essentials of form and color. Translating this experience into a painting to reveal that which has no actual form (joy and wonder), required I depart from realism as a style and seek the real.

Summer Morning - Loons oil on canvas 16" x 20"

Day Watcher- Bald eagle oil on canvas 20" x 16"

There are so many ways to observe and see the same apparent subject or event. It has been said that artists see differently, suggesting they have some kind of special eyesight. In fact, every human activity involving skill, requires a specialized method of observation and analysis. I don't see differently, but I filter visual information differently when my intention is to create art.

The Gathering oil on canvas 16 x 20"

Waiting Out the Storm oil on canvas 16 x 20"

Marbled Godwits at the shore - sketchbook

A tried-and-true method to experience real frustration is to attempt to draw constantly moving birds without any knowledge of the anatomy and proportions of that particular species. Knowledge is power.

Marbled Godwit oil on canvas 20" x 16"

Misty Morning- Harlequins oil on canvas 9" x 12" SOLD

I spent March - April 2018, in Washington's San Juan Islands. It's such a beautiful area and great place to see a variety of bird life including Harlequin Ducks and Bald Eagles. I observed Harlequins for countless hours, in all kinds of weather. I left with ideas for new work and a deeper appreciation for these beautiful birds and their environment.

I've enjoyed exploring the South Carolina coast during the winter months - lots of birds and miles of empty beaches. Among the several Tern species that gather at the shore are Royal Terns. In or out of breeding plumage they are beautifully integrated with the sand and sea.

Royal Tern oil on canvas 9" x 12"

Night Watch - Great Horned Owl
oil on canvas 16" x 20" SOLD

Great Horned Owl
Owls remain mysterious creatures despite all that is known about their physical form and habits. I’ve chosen to further that sense of mystery by intentionally merging parts of the owl with the background, omitting unnecessary detail and emphasizing the bird’s intense focus on something not visible within the painting.

Turkey Study oil on canvas 16" x 20" SOLD

Turkey Study
My experience of birds, and wild birds especially, does not involve observing much detail. Usually, they are flying past me at high speed or in the case of wild Turkey running too quickly to make out individual feathers or other features. When it comes to painting, drawing and sculpting birds, the inclination is to rely on photographs or taxidermy mounts to provide the information my eyes and memory cannot hold fast. So it requires careful thought to get clear about what I am actually attempting in my work – is this an anatomy lesson or something else? Almost always, it is something else and it is more effectively communicated by paying attention to matters of simplification, color, brushwork and movement. This painting is about the character and aliveness of the bird, qualities not generally conveyed by a strict rendering of the surface appearance but rather a careful distillation of essential elements.