There’s No Place Like Home….

As much as I love going on vacation, I love coming home! It is great to get out, hike, kayak, and photograph birds, but even better to come home to my flock! They are so welcoming, even though it is a little noisy…..OK a LOT noisy….but hey, it is a happy noise. Then everyone has to be petted and reassured that we are going to stay home for a while. Then they have to have their treats and some extra scratching…….even the cats are happy we are home. The cat hair and feathers have risen to a new level, as we shovel our way through to get the laundry done and get everything back in order. Our grown up kids have done a great job of feeding and caring everyone, but the birds and cats have assured us that they are starving for treats and affection. Hubby is worn out from travel and has fallen asleep, surrounded by kitties. Yawn, think I will be joining them soon. The Wilson’s Warbler is almost done!

The Kickstarter Project has closed and was fully funded, so I will be getting prints, cards and framing done over the next few weeks. Once again, a great big “Thank You” goes out to all of my project backers!

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Wilson’s Warbler

The painting is progressing. As you can see there is strong lighting, but it is diffused and sent different directions because of the thickness of the foliage. You also might have noticed the little Warbler is in the middle of enjoying a nice lunch. Now, that is not a lunch I would enjoy, but he seems to be going after it with relish.

Even though I am blogging, we are far away from home on our yearly trip to Colorado to photograph anything that moves. We were going to go to Estes Park especially to photograph the elk. This vacation has been a lesson in flexibility! Estes Park is flooded, they are not allowing anyone in, except essential personnel. So we have rerouted to Durango, and have been taking landscape photos instead. Net we will go to Sedona for a day or two, then to Lakeside, and enjoy some of the beauties of our own state. Maybe there will be a couple of critter photos in the offing, but it is looking like landscape, LOL! SO only a couple more days of blessed cool, then it is back to the desert temps in the 100’s. Hey….that is why we live in Arizona! Excuse me a moment, I have a phone call from the parrots……..oh……they are wanting to know how come I left instructions for their nuts to be limited while I am gone…..OK guys, you are getting a little tubby, and I figured you would not scream at my son, he is following orders after all….what do you mean the cats are not on a diet…..they are not as tubby…..DO not eat the cat food…..Quit chasing them around the house….buzzzzzzz…they hung up on me! Guess I had better go check with the son and see if the house is still standing…….stay tuned!!!!!

Another Day, Another Cat Hair

Help, I am drowning in cat hair!!! Or is that cat fur? OK, I promise, I won’t go on another rant about cat hair, even if I am drowning in it. Hey, it is not like the cats can help it, and it is not like the birds don’t put out their share of feathers. BUT…..cats being cats, I suspect that as soon as I go to sleep, they jump up on my art desk and rub all over my painting in progress…just to get me started. Like I said, though, I won’t go there today and nothing you can do will make me start a rant about cat hair.

Here is the start to the Wilson’s Warbler painting. This is the last of the native bird series for this year. Stay tuned….more to come next year. But have to get a few parrots done first!

Whoooooo Hooooo! My Kickstarter Project is 100% funded now, so the fingernails can grow out again. A Great Big THANK YOU to all of the project backers. ‘Til the next time, may your cat hair brush off of your art easily!

Done..Da..Done..Done……..

Done….Da…Done…Done….Doooonnnnnneeeee!(To the Tune of “Dragnet”) The story you are about to see is true……the names were changed…. Oh Hi! That is just Candy again….she got tired of chanting, “Step Away from the Painting Arlene!” and started with the Done..da..done…done. I think she is trying to tell me something. Well. here it is, you can see for yourself!

My Kickstarter Project http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1030315317/native-birds-ii is 87% funded now with 13 days left to go! If you know any Bird Art lovers, please share!

Where is Defeat?!?!?!?

Ok, maybe I should have spelled it “de – feet”……but they are on the way. Hummingbird feet are so small, I saved them for last. They will probably be the most challenging part of the painting. So while Mr. Hummer takes a little sip of nectar, I will try to find his feet. Hope you have enjoyed your Labor Day Weekend!

A head in the blooms…….

It was really hard to drag myself away from painting to get a photo, but here is an update of the Anna’s hummingbird. SO how did they know the hummingbird belonged to Anna, they all look alike to me, LOL! Yes it is still ghostly, but won’t be for long! Hang in there. Meanwhile…..back to the painting! Hummm, hummm, hum….