I don't know about you, but lately each day feels like a week to me. I thought I'd do a round up of what I've been up to this week, in the art department.
Last weekend I began, filmed, and wrapped up this little glow bird painting of a Blackburnian warbler. I've been thinking a lot about how many of our songbirds are night migrators. I love to draw and paint birds. And i really wanted to make something that could be enjoyed after dark.
Et voila! This petite painting is of a night migrating warbler, painted roughly life size, and with a layer of glow over the background that allows the silhouette of the bird to glow for several hours after dark.
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| Blackburnian Glow layer |
There are definitely some technical challenges to work through when creating glow art. But overall I'm pretty happy with how this concept turned into reality. Here's the video if you're curious.
Next up and little drawing and video project for the LNC (Lowry Nature Center). With the doors of the nature center closed during our Safe At Home aka shelter-in-place requirement, we have been creating video content in order to stay in touch with our visitors.
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| Mason bee house sketch |
I'm getting ready for bee season, so I thought drawing a Mason bee nest box would be(e) a fun place to start as a drawing tutorial for folks to watch, or even try on their own at home. Video coming soon.
After being cooped up in the studio (I DO enjoy my studio time, but alas, I really miss the amount of outdoor time I normally get) it was time to get outside. The sun was shining early in the week, so I packed up my easel, tripod, and oil paint. And I got to haul out the cadmium yellow! This trip was highlighted by multiple Eastern meadowlark sightings. I set up strategically not so much for the view but for the territory songs coming from the meadowlarks.
It was SO GOOD to get outside, be warm enough, be painting and just listening to everything that was going on in nature.
Yesterday I was on animal care at LNC. I decided to go on a hike, but wasn't feeling very energetic. So I picked a spot on a hill above a pond and tried to continue learning how to paint in gouache. Ha!
It was cloudy and windy, but still warm enough to paint outside very comfortably. 60oF is something to celebrate in MN after a loooong winter. Also, the light on cloudy days is steady, so color is more stable. Meaning I had time to really closely observe all the subtle colors of a wetland that is just beginning to come back to life in spring.
I hope you've been staying sane and healthy. These are difficult times. I'll admit, this post is helpful just to remind me what day it is! Beyond that, I wanted to share some art that has helped me make the most of the weirdness we're in the midst of.
I hope you are hanging in there! What are some things that have helped you get through this time of social distancing? Until next time, take care!
-Laurel
