Bluejay Linework

So I've been working up several versions of the Bluejay idea, and I think this sketch might be pretty close to the final linework. Actually, yes, it is the final linework. Any other changes I want to make I'll just do in paint. I know it's really similar to the first version I posted, but I like it. Since I got the shots of the corn in the snow yesterday, I think that those will serve as my primary references and the color palette. I'm anxious to get to into a painting, and I like the muted blue and yellow look. I'll probably punch up the saturation in photoshop to paint from, because it will inevitably look more muted in the painting. (Because that's how I work)

Snow and Waterfowl

It's been a stressful week or so, and it's still been slow to make great progress on things. I spend a lot of time driving Mike around, though, and I keep seeing things that I would like to paint. I really think that beautiful things happen around here all the time, and no one seems to stop and notice. For instance, today we had several snow squalls come through during the day, and it was that nice heavy, fluffy stuff that's all made up of real snowflakes. The kind that all look different? It was beautiful. People hate it. While I was out I happened across a cornfield that was just full of geese, but it was snowing to a point that you just saw all the silhouettes of them flying through it. I took a lot of shots there, but mostly after the really heavy snowfall--but that's how I remember it best, with the white-out conditions, and the geese circling. I think that might be an idea for my next painting plan, something with geese flying over a snowy cornfield. I probably shouldn't do too much corn, though, seeing as the bluejay piece I'm working on is already in a snowy cornfield (for which I got a ton of perfect references today, by the way). This album is sort of a composite of shots I've taken over the last week (there were more, but they were boring), plus a few pictures of my chinchillas.....because they're just so damn cute.

Something of note today is that while I was sitting outside right around dusk waiting for Mike to finish his trumpet lesson, and all the sudden a dozen little sparrows burst out of this evergreen tree to my right, closely followed by a little saw-whet owl (I think, could have been a screech owl). It was AWESOME, but I couldn't get my camera (which I do carry everywhere with me just in case) out in time. I jumped out of my car and tried to follow them, but I lost track of them, and the lady in a car behind me asked if I was okay. When I told her what happened, she just gave me a strange look.

A couple nights ago we had the local white tails run through the backyard. I often see them at dusk, but these guys showed up in mid-afternoon, so I got a few shots of them as they passed. I'm thinking of doing some various ideas for the white tails with the material I have so far. I'm a little sad, though, that I seem to have missed shooting the bucks in full-antlers. I think most of them have dropped by now. I found an old dropped antler while out earlier this week, but it seemed like the squirrels had been at it for quite a while, so I left it. Sometimes I find nice, fresh drops. I like to collect antlers and stuff like that. :)

Painting Designs

Well I've been trying out some different types of compositions for the bird paintings I'd like to start. I think this blue jay design is pretty close to what I was going for, so I'll be proceeding with that first--I'll post the final linework when I put it on the canvas--of course that work will be much more sensitively drawn. I was thinking 18x24 for them, or at least that's the size of one of the canvases I prepared. I'm still not sure about how I want the background to be, though. I was hoping to make it not too complicated, possibly in an atmospheric focus with snow coming down.

I've also been thinking about a chickadee piece featuring some of the prairie plants I've been collecting. I threw together a rough idea for that one--something done very close-in and focused on the plants and birds. Also with snow, I hope, although the color palette I have in mind for this one is considerably more muted than with the jays. I have a 12x16 canvas that I think would be well suited for this one.

Oh for COLD.

Well, here's a quick update that should have happened on January 17th. I went out on the 16th to shoot references of my target locations and subjects out in the new snow, and although it was clear and bright, it was still ungodly cold. I went back out to the unharvested cornfield I've been watching for the bluejay painting to get references of how snow sits on vertical stalks. It seems to only sit in the crevices of leaves and in the bends of stalks--and it just slides off of everywhere else. I also drove out to Oxbow to re-visit those sandstone ledges and the frozen crick, although as I found the river was completely frozen over. Due to the cold, the ice flow was huge and solid, and somewhat more indistinct than it had been at the milder temperatures. I guess I'll have to sort of wing it as far as the ice in the bobcat painting I'm trying to put together goes, but now I know I have enough material to work from.

I found the cold too harsh to go out into the animal enclosures at Oxbow, so I went back into town and ended up shooting the geese out at silver lake and the associated river systems again. The mist was more intense than it had been the day before, so I found that I had a lot of very atmospheric shots with the bright light and steam--in all some very cool stuff. I'd like to do something with these references, especially since the geese are such a unique part of my experience here. I find the goldish light in these shots very appealing as well.

SNOW!!!

IT SNOWED! Finally, after so much time thinking it just wasn't going to, we got a real Minnesota blizzard. I was so glad. Anyway, it started snowing Sunday afternoon and pretty much went straight through to Monday afternoon, leaving behind a nice 7 inches. It was heavy to shovel. Again, me being tied up at home, I don't have as many shots as I had wanted, but tomorrow Mike's in school so I can go out and re-shoot the references that I want. I figure that I had intended to do these projects with snow in them in the first place, and since it's finally here it's still not too late to do just that.

So I did go out briefly today (between running errands) to Silver Lake, which is a sort of famous local spot. The lake is man-made, but heated by the local coal-power electricity plant (which uses the water to cool boilers), so the water doesn't completely freeze during the winter no matter the temperature. It's like a sauna for the geese, and when the temp drops below 15 or so (like today) the water steams. The lake has the largest year-round population of Canada Geese in the lower 48, and the population triples during winter as migrating flocks decide to stay. Today the high temp was around 13 degrees with a stiff wind--meaning the wind chill was like -10 degrees, which as I found out is DAMN COLD. I tried to walk the paths around the lake, but when my extremities went numb after about 2 minutes, I'm sorry to say that I simply chickened out on that. I did manage to get some very nice shots right out of the car and on the shore of the lake, though, so there's plenty to give an idea of the area. I'm thinking of ways to do a very atmospheric geese painting, possibly on the water in thick fog. Lots of light blues.

So that's all for now folks, but I am hoping to start in on at least the bluejay painting, and the bobcat by the weekend. I bought canvases for each and prepped them this weekend (three coats of gesso+sanding), so I'm more or less ready.

Ketchup Post.

Well I've been busy again and this is a large update/photo album dump. I'm covering two days of wanderings in one post. I went back out to Oxbow on Thursday to get some different lighted references. It was warmer, but overcast, so I didn't get those bright sunlight shadows, and I think I can work off the the references I have now. Some of the animals were more active then as well, so I got some more shots of various critters. The wolves and coyotes were a little more active this trip, as they came over to check me out when I got there. The little bobcat came down to see me again as well, so I have some shots of her climbing down the logs in her enclosure this time. The cougar was still just sitting around looking bored as per usual, I suppose, but still gorgeous. While there, I saw a group of deer out in a nearby cornfield, which was amusing in a nursery-rhyme sort of way. There's a few shots of them in the Environments album.

This weekend I got tied up in a lot of family responsibilities, but we went out to Grandma's for dinner on Saturday, and while there that same family group of whitetails wandered in. This time though, I noticed that there were two young bucks with the group. Of course, they had already shed their antlers by now, but there were noticeable nubs on their foreheads, which was fun to note. I was surprised by how bold they were within the group structure, coming right up to the house and annoying the older (and bigger) does. I have always seen bucks as being more elusive than the does, but maybe being able to hide within a herd (being without antlers) does a lot for their security. There's a lot of shots of them. The group hung around for close to an hour. I also got more shots of the local cardinals, of course, which I think are so charming.

More recent stuff in the next post, again for continuity.

A-Hyuck.

Well I figured out why no one could see the albums....I had the darn thing set to private. I am in fact, a dumbutt. Anyway, it's fixed now, so ya'll can see all the photos and such.

Sketchies! And some quick thumbnails...

So I spent time yesterday thinking about painting ideas and sketching some burdsz. I really like cardinal expressions, I think, so most of the sketches are of them.

My first ideas for bird paintings, though, feature the little american kestrel perched in the elm tree that I shot out at the farm, and bluejays in old corn stalks, possibly pecking out the last of a cob. I'd do the jays rather closer up, I think, because a cornfield in context is a bitch to paint and I did bring home 7 or 8 full stalks so I could compose and paint from life, more or less. The bluejay idea has more potential for a pleasing color palette too (with orange/yellow against the blue jays). The kestrel piece certainly feels more wintery.

I also threw together the little bobcat from Oxbow and some of the dripping ice from the stream freeze. It's not necessarily true to a life experience (as I've never seen a bobcat there personally), but I think it has some of the drama of contemporary predator paintings, with a little midwest flair. I think it's appealing, anyway. If I'm going to do a dramatic piece, I'd want it to at least be from my own reference. I was also thinking that the bobcat compositions would benefit from a more twilight lighting without that direct sunlight--so more of a blue caste and a brighter sky behind the cat's head. I'll go out to Byron again today (because it's cloudy) and see if I can't find what I'm looking for.

While I'm there, I think I'll also document more of that outcropping in the stream, as I was thinking it would be a nice place for the deer I shot in Gramma's yard.

Nothing like good wind burn.

Well, last Tuesday was quite busy for me. I decided to take a drive out to the Oxbow park/nature center to see if I could get any interesting shots or ideas from the animals they keep there. The weather was clear, but cold. Really cold, actually. The temp read at around 20 degrees, but with the intense wind chill it felt more like 3. I bundled up and went out anyway, because I'm just determined like that. Or stupid. Take your pick.

The drive out was nice, and I spotted a wild bald eagle on the way in, which is always cool no matter how many times you see them. We got into the park area and I had only taken a few bird shots when I realized I was out of batteries and had forgotten to take extras. Figures. So I drove back to Byron and found a gas station with batteries, and got back about 30 minutes later. The light had changed by that point and was pretty severe as the sun set, so a lot of these photos are unfortunately over-contrasty and full of yucky shadows. I'm planning to go back on Thursday to try for different lighting.

The Oxbow center keeps native species that are un-releasable for one reason or another, so many of the raptors for instance have severely broken wings or eye problems. It's really quite depressing--combined with the fact that all the enclosures are built with the same iron fencing, it just adds to the overall feeling of hopelessness. The whole time I was admiring the critters, I was wishing that I had seen them wild instead. Someday, I hope. They did have those elusive turkeys, though, which I was glad to photograph. They have these fantastic neck feathers that move all the time.

In spite of the depressing situation of some of the animals, I did find that the red foxes and the bobcat still had a strong personality (granted, it was a prissy arrogant personality, but it was still great) and were interested in watching me as well. Of course, with an outdoor park and in 20 degree weather, I was pretty much the only person there besides the center attendant. I was probably the most interesting thing that happened to them in several days. I got some pics of the bobcat and foxes that I hope to find a way to work into paintings of some sort.

They have a rather young cougar there, as far as I can tell. He was gorgeous, though. He already had his thick winter coat in and a huge ruffed neck, which I just love on a cougar. I have a thing for big cats, and it was fun to just stand there and stare with him staring back. He was pretty content to just lie on his ledge, but I must have shot every inch of him anyways. Big predators are severely over-painted and often kitchy, but I'd love to paint him anyway.

Oxbow isn't just the zoo center, it's also a large reserve of land for several miles with lots of hiking trails and the zumbro river running through most of it. It was getting darker (and colder) as I left, but I snagged a few shots of the river and a pretty cool frozen spring that I think are promising. I'll investigate more when I go back. I'll probably wear a face mask next time too, because I came away with some pretty nasty wind-burn and borderline-frostbite in my toes, which wasn't so pleasant. Different boots next time.

Sketchies in the next update!

And through the woods...

I think I may have to accept the possibility that it just might not snow. Yesterday was overcast and colder, but still only in the mid to lower 30s. It felt wintery, but no precipitation. Wintery, in that the sky was that flat light-grey that only happens when it gets colder--it gave the land a sort of de-saturated look, which I think was actually pretty neat.

I spent most of yesterday out by Gramma's house and the surrounding area. I spent a lot of time looking for turkeys, but still nothing. We did however, see several groups of deer and quite a few songbirds. I'm beginning to recognize the deer out there by sight, actually. It's usually a large, older doe, with at least two twin yearlings that I think are hers. They're accompanied by 3-5 other does of varying age, but none as big as that mom. They actually come by Gramma's house two or three times daily, she says. Yesterday we saw them around 3:30pm, and again at dusk--around 5pm. I've got some pretty nice, very detailed deer shots (as I was shooting them from less than 15ft away), but I don't have any concrete ideas about how I want to paint them yet. The thing with whitetails is that they've been done....and done and done and done. I want to come up with something different for them.

We also went hiking in the area (it's mostly farmland/rural residences, though), and up to a farmstead near her house. It was really a beautiful farm, and I took a LOT of pictures of stuff that I found interesting. I'm thinking that it might be the right place for that little kestral, or so I can imagine. I'm hoping to do some thumbnail ideas for a kestral/farm painting in the next few days.

After the hike, we came back and put out fresh seed, and almost immediately there were cardinals on it. There were at least 3 males and 5 females that I counted--the photos don't communicate that so well--and they all came down together. I managed to get some decent shots of the birds on the railing, but they were just too fast to get a well-focused shot of them flying or in the trees. I am however getting more used to the camera, and understanding the settings I need to use to take the faster shots. I'm thinking I should go try for some better fluffed-kestral shots--something actually in focus.

Tomorrow or monday or tuesday, I'm going to go out to a local wildlife refuge/zoo where they keep a variety of native Minnesotan species. Hopefully I'll get some interesting shots out there as well.

Turkey that you know will fold...

I've been running around today mostly looking for wild turkeys. What I found was lots more geese. Boy, we have got geese in this town. This morning much of the open water at least had frozen into ice, so I found a lot of geese hanging out, and there's some interesting shots of them taking off and landing on the ice. Actually, that was really funny because they would slide two or three feet upon touching down--which might make an interesting painting. So, there's more photos of geese.

I did manage to spot one group of turkeys, but as soon as I got within 50 feet or so, they scattered into the woods. I only managed to get a few shots of them, but I'm going to try again tomorrow. I know of some more promising places to look.

It might sound cheesy, but I've been going out to my Grandma's house--she doesn't live very far from us, but it's quieter out there, and farther from town. She puts out a lot of seed for the birds and corn for the deer, so there's wildlife out there pretty much all the time. I got out there pretty late in the day yesterday, but there were deer out in the yard when I pulled up and they stayed there through dusk. I spotted a 4-point buck by the road on my drive home, but it was dark and he ran off before I could get out the camera. I'm going out again tomorrow to try for more songbirds--she has a local family of cardinals that are there pretty consistently. So I have some dusk deer photos, and a few shots of a squirrel by my house that I thought was especially cute.

Kestrels are cool.

Well, the weather has continued to be infuriatingly warm, with highs of 47 degrees yesterday. FORTY SEVEN. Unbelievable. Something that I've beginning to observe as I've been paying attention, is that some of our typical winter bird species are becoming more rare, and some rare (more southern) species have become more common. For example, I've seen very few black-eyed juncos (when I remember groups of 20-30 at a time from my childhood) and an increasing number of little gray titmice, which I've hardly ever seen. It's sort of frightening, because it means that with the warmer temperatures, species are in fact moving north--as has been predicted.

In spite of global warming, my quest to find critters to photograph has been fairly productive. Yesterday I spent a good deal of the day outside wandering around the local nature center and surrounding land and managed to fill up an entire 1GB memory card. I've begun editing the photos that I upload, believe it or not, and what you'll see there is usually only like a third of what I actually shot. I got more geese, which I'm beginning to believe isn't so impressive, as they are everywhere. Although that fact is making me rather fond of the geese, because everything else I've been trying to shoot is just too damn fast. I've also been shooting some interesting landscape and vegetative elements, mostly shorelines and dead prairie plants. The photos of the stalks aren't very informative, so I've just been cutting down the more interesting plants and taking them home. I've been thinking of doing some close-up kinds songbird paintings with these plants I've been collecting (right now I have some big dried out milkweed pods, cattails, thistles, yucca, and some stuff I can't exactly identify). I'm actually looking forward to painting some from life. Now I just need some decent references of the birds. The Black-capped Chickadees are particularly annoying, as they have the habit of flitting down to a feeder, taking one seed, and then taking off to eat it somewhere else. This means that as soon as I can focus on one on a feeder, it takes off. I'll have to find another way. This is opposed to the more sensible birds like cardinals and jays and sparrows, which will settle in to gorge themselves. The corvids have been elusive as well, I think they're more aware of when your attention is on them, as opposed to the geese. I got a few shots, but nothing I'm enthusiastic about.

Much to my delight, however, our local nature center has recently acquired a little male American Kestrel from the Raptor Center in Minneapolis. While I was shooting photos of him in his fiber-glass enclosure, an friend of mine(now in charge of this kind of stuff) offered to take him out so I could get some better photos. The thing is, when he's in his cage, it's the temperature it is outside, so he fluffs up his feathers because it's sort of cold--which is adorable, and is how I would prefer to paint him in a winter scene--but when he's inside, he flattens out his feathers. So I have better references of him outside the cage than in, but he's in fluff-mode inside the cage. I'll have to go back and try again--I was having trouble with the indoor settings and getting glare off the fiberglass. Still, I'm +1 captive subject.

That's most of it from the 3rd. I'll put up another update from today, for simplicity's sake.

Finally, eh?

Well it did indeed snow on new years eve, and in such a way that I was unable to get to a party I was invited to and hung out at home playing video games...which I guess isn't so bad. It was only 31 degrees, so the snow was that sort of wet, sticky stuff that's great for snowballs, but makes the roads all greasy. There was only about 2 inches of it in the morning, as much of what fell turned into slush and melted off by then, but it did leave enough of a dusting for me to start gathering references. I'm worried though, because it's been bright and clear every day since then and in the upper 30s, and it's supposed to get even warmer through the end of this week, so there will be significant melt-off.

Nevertheless I was happy to go out back and photograph some stuff with my NEW CAMERA. Which made me joyous, and you might say, gleeful even--it's a Canon Powershot S3 IS, with a 12x telephoto lens and 6.0 megapixels. It is also, might I add, a massive improvement over my 6-year-old dell-cheapy-POS. The camera has the ability to refocus as much as I need, and is really fast--which is important when the stuff I'd like to be shooting would like nothing more than to run the hell away from me. Anyway, the first batch of photos is of me toodling around out back shooting stuff that looks interesting and getting a handle on how to use the camera. I'm thinking that some of the frozen plants I shot would make nice settings for local songbirds, and the best part is that if I choose a particular one of these plants, I can just go out back and cut it down and bring it inside to paint.













I did get out and find a big flock of our local Canada geese. They were sitting out in the soccer field near the community college (which I had to go check out some stuff at anyway) in a group of maybe 200 or so. I thought that they wouldn't be bothered by me since they were in such huge numbers, but as soon as I started walking towards them they spooked and bolted--which, if you've ever been near a couple hundred geese as they take off is both awesome and really surprisingly loud. But that gave me a chance to really test the shutter speed on the camera, and I'm pretty happy with the results. Tomorrow I'm going to go look for more geese, since I know I can get clear shots of them in action, and I also know likely locations for several more mega-flocks. I'm also going to try to find some other red-squirrel and songbird locations (I put out seed two days ago, but I've mostly just seen gray squirrels out there). So hopefully there will be more stuff by Friday. I'm thinking that this weekend or the next (depending on if we get more snow) a friend of the family will take me out through his back-wood trails in the local game preserve, so that should be pretty cool too.













I know the slideshows are annoying, but if you have a photobucket account (which is free, so why not?) you can click the album name up in the left corner and it will take you to a more user-friendly thumbnail listing.