birds

Return of the eagles.

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The eagles are back!

I live in an area where bald eagles flock to breed. They come back every year in the hundreds.

I haven’t been taking too many photos as my camera’s shutter seems to be wearing out but I did take these while I was walking Sampson. This one seemed very interested in Sampson.

This one did too. His claws are in such sharp focus.

I was playing with some white ink on black paper. The paper seemed a bit soft, it wanted to absorb and absorb which ended up working in my favor, I was able to put many layers. Now in my first eagle here which is about 5×7, I went a little too crazy with my top layer and lost some of the shading.

This one is better. I would have continued down the shoulders but it ended up in a card frame for a friend who likes eagles. The one thing I love about ink, is that it tends to look complicated but it’s all just little dots and lines. Pretty relaxing to do.

I used a dip pen with a G nib on it. I buy the ones that are marketed towards anime online. They flow well and you can make thick or thin lines depending on how much pressure you use.

Since I mentioned Sampson, here’s a quick one of him in white ink on card stock.

I also did a squirrel in the white and grey ink who looks a bit of a know it all.

I did a polar bear too but had to weigh down the paper afterwards as it buckled. He looks like he’s fretting, given that the icecaps are melting fast, I can’t say I blame him.

If you have questions, please ask in the comments.

©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2020

In the garden.

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A hummingbird

A Monarch.

A finch, checking out its feet.

A swallowtail.

Another swallowtail.

And  of course, a Lesser Blue Warted Toadgon, native of the Indigo Forest of Cerulean.  It is one of the prettier invasive species though it’s a bit of a pest, stomping about and getting bluing everywhere.

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2017

 

Bird Watching

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Once upon a time

There was a little bird

And it was whistling a tune

I had never heard.

It started me looking

Straining to see

What was making that sound?

Up in the old oak tree

Was it a cardinal, a bluejay, a wren, a dove?

Was it a blue heron with it’s head, held high above.

Could it be an owl

That majestic wise bird

Or was it a sparrow

Chirping that chirp that I heard

A parrot, an eagle

I surely don’t know

Except that I’m certain that it wasn’t a crow

It was driving me crazy! It had to be found!

Oh what could be making that beautiful sound?

Was it a grebe, a loon, a silly old duck?

I really wasn’t having much luck

Then I caught a glimpse

Of a back, black and white

And a crimson chest

What a stunning sight!

It was that wonderful bird

So lovely and unique.

The charmingly operatic

Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fancy Flamingos

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A flamingo in watercolor, 4×6.

flamingo-watercolor-miniature.

And the same flamingo in pastels, 4×6

I haven’t used pastels in years, made a thorough mess of myself!

flamingo-pastel-miniature.

Thanks to the person who added the photo to the WetCanvas Reference Image Library. This was part of the miniature forum’s monthly challenge.

©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2017

Happy Summer!

~ thepurpledogpaintingblog ~ 2 Comments

It is sweltering and hot and muggy and it’s summer!!

Yayyyy! Let’s go outside

And hang with the hummingbirds.

blog hummingbirds fly dance.

Or dally in the daisies

goose daisies bird.

Or bounce with the bunny..

bunny furry cute.

Or go to the lake!

Acrylic, 12×9, with a palette knife.

the lake knife painting.

Whatever you are doing, enjoy the day!

Happy Summer!

Woohoo!

🙂

©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2016

 

Happy New Year!

~ thepurpledogpaintingblog ~ 6 Comments

A bit late but well intended nevertheless.

Here’s a bright bird to start the year off. I’ve had an injury and will be having an operation on my arm so this was an experiment with large brushes and lots of paint mostly because it was driving me nuts not to paint.

I have lost some movement and control but I have not lost the ability to write run on sentences. Yay!

11×14, Acrylic, Goldfinch on a cone flower.

goldfinch small.

Don’t worry though I have some friends looking in on me. I mean literally  just walking up and looking in the window. Who does that? I appreciate the thought but use the door for Pete’s sake.

buck.

While I’ve been icing my arm, my trees decided to show me how it’s done and are doing a little ice therapy in my backyard. So pretty.

winter trees small.

I hope you and yours had a wonderful start to the year!

©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2016

Seeing Red

~ thepurpledogpaintingblog ~ 6 Comments

Last week while we were still in the deep freeze I heard a knock at my window.

As I was on the second floor, I was a bit startled.

I looked around and there on the ground was a very woozy cardinal.

cardinal_red_tree (3).

Now I know, it’s not a good idea to mess with nature even if you mean well and normally a bird after hitting a window will be okay after a rest but it was so cold the cardinal was starting to stick to the ground so I had to intervene. (Now there’s a good example of a run on sentence. I haven’t written one in awhile, I’m so glad I haven’t lost my touch!)

He really didn’t seem to mind the open box with a hot water bottle in it.

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cardinal_red_tree (4).

He stayed there for quite a while, I was starting to get worried.

Fortunately, he was just really comfy.

cardinal_red_tree (5).

After a couple hours, all was well!

cardinal_red_tree (1).

He’s still hanging around. I think he’s waiting for me to put the hot water bottle back out again. Maybe I should add a little bird spa to the front porch. I could call it “Chic Chicks” or “Pique Your Beak” or “Fly and Dry”. On the other had we already have many “Seed and Feed” franchises around the yard. No body ever pays but we like the company.

Here’s an ink drawing of a church in the woods. (thank you to the person who put the reference photo into WetCanvas, Reference Image Library). This is 3×5.

ink_church_pen_drawing.

These are all ATC”s (artist trading cards). They are 2.5 by 3.5 inches, the size of a playing card.

A blue heron in acrylic.

blueheronatc.

A ibis in ink.

whiteibisatc.

A helmeted guinea fowl in ink and colored marker.

helmetedguineafowlatc.

A Somalian wild ass in acrylic.

(This is a terrible scan, it looks way better in real life)

donkeyatc.

And a laughing zebra in acrylic.

zebrasmileatc.

I hope you enjoyed your Friday the 13th and today’s Pi Day.

Have a happy Ides of March tomorrow!

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2015

Please follow this link for available prints.

Thank you!

Ode to a Turkey

~ thepurpledogpaintingblog ~ 12 Comments

There is a turkey in my yard
I don’t know what he wants

tom_wild_turkey.
He struts to and fro
And yells oh such nasty taunts

turkeyface

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He waggles his wattles
And snoozles his snood

young_male_turkey
.

And he blocked the driveway
Cause he’s in a fowl mood

turkeysitting.
But I will not let him
Get to me

Large_male_dominant_turkey.

For instead I have painted
A watercolor tree.

watercolor tree blog art.

The End

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2015

 

As the Suet Spins..

~ thepurpledogpaintingblog ~ 8 Comments

The continuing story of a bird, another bird, a third bird, some other birds, many many birds

and a little bit of suet.

It was a cold yet sunny day.

The wily woodpecker whistled..

“Mine! All mine! The suet is all mine!

Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!”

A woodpecker and suet in the snow..

“Ahem” the lady cardinal quietly coughed.

A female cardinal and a woodpecker.

“Yeeeeeeees?”

woodpecker_female_cardinal_intimidation.

“Did you..you…eat…all..of the suet!!!!!” the vivacious vixen gasped.

“I did! I did eat the suet!” whispered the woodpecker as he bowed his head in shame.

woodpecker_cardinal_female_suet.

“But I Still Adore You!” said the woodpecker in an overly dramatic capitalized way.

“Please!” he continued “Eat The Rest!”

“Okay, mmph, mmph, mmph.” she mumbled with a face full of suet.

woodpecker_cardinal_suet_female.

“Oh no! Your boyfriend is coming! I’m outta here!”

“Heeyyyyyyyyy!” Squeaked the Red One.

“You Vixen!” he squawked.

woodpecker_cardinal_female_male.

“Oh Dirk!” She sobbed.

“I’m leaving you.”

cardinal_male_female_suet.

Dirk looked around in confusion.

He appeared to be all alone.

cardinal_panorama.

(cue dramatic music)

Dadada Dum

Stay tuned until next time.

When Dirk meets a suspiciously scurrilous sparkling sparrow.

cardinal_sparrow_birdseed.

Will he survive the suspicious scurrilous sparkling sparrow’s speech?

Will the vivacious vibrant vixen vamoose?

Will the wily woozy woodpecker wallow wearily with wanton whistles ?

Stay tuned..

As the Suet Spins..

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2015

Christmas Trees, Peeping Toms and Dog Portraits

~ thepurpledogpaintingblog ~ 6 Comments

It’s that time of year again.

Dummy was so excited to decorate the tree, he forgot to put his pants on.

Dummy_christmas_art.

He thinks he’s sexy.

Christmas_model_bigfoot.

No wonder we have so many peeping Toms.

peeping_tom_turkey.

Yeah, I see you Tom Turkey.

That’s right, strut away all casual like.

But I know what you did..

turkey_wild_strut.

Sampson, I can’t believe you let them get that close to the house.

What do you have to say for yourself?

Westie_dog_groucho.

Really!

And to think, I made a portrait, just for you.

Acrylic, 8×10

Westie_painting_dog.

Don’t worry Zeus, I made you one too.

Acrylic, 8×10

dog-painting-lab.

What do you think of that, Zeus?

Lab_expression_funny.

Sigh…

Here’s a couple little landscapes too. Acrylic, 3×5

landscape_winter-snow_painting.

Acrylic 3×5

landscape_snow_winter_painting

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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2014