Wishing you all a terrific and creative 2019.
Artist Note
This is my favorite nest of last year
I painted it three times.
The one above
It is 8"x10" oil on canvas.
Lots of layering went on...
and on... and somehow
I feel as if I built this nest -
instead of painting it!
It is a Bluejay nest.
Friends from Santa Fe gave it to me a couple
of years ago when they were having an addition
put on their house and found it.
It is on a beautiful sycamore branch in my studio.
The one below was 24"x24"
HUGE for me.
I LOVED painting it.
Ladybugs, grasses, feathers, leaves,
are all in there - part of nest making!
.
Sunrise colors are behind the large one but
I became creative with blue twigs
in the top one. I found I enjoyed playing
around with colors and glad I stuck to it.
So, as you see, the same nest provided me
with hours of pleasure
How many of you thought I meant the
PAINTING at top was my favorite
and not the nest itself?
Interesting how we read things.
Though I better put it right!
Both of them sold and I hope the owners
enjoy finding little areas of interest
that have my heart and soul
embedded in them.
Again....happiest of years ahead
and thank you for following my blog.
Who can not be inspired by the beauty, utilitarianism and function of a bird’s nest? I could not even begin to count how many I have seen, yet each one inspires me anew. All the best for 2019, Julie.
ReplyDeleteI am delighted to hear nests still inspire you, David. I understand only too well. Thanks for the book recommenfation. I wrote a couple down. I had only read two of your selection. Have s great week.
DeleteOh all are so beautiful-I love the blue twigs-you art has inspired me greatly-I will never reach your level of being a painter, but it means a lot to me that you visit my blog and always have an encouraging word for me! God bless you, and a wonderful new year for you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debra, for your kind words. I enjoy visiting your blog and seeing uour wonderful creations as well ss your paintings.
DeleteI love when you play with colors Julie. I love both of these...amazing blues in the first painting but love the second as well... beautiful backgrounds on both of them as well!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear from you, dear Hilda. Hope you have completely recovered from that nasty fall. Sending a hug.
DeleteLove your cat with an attitude!
I'm having mushrooms pop up all over still, so I'm looking down more than up, but I also have bluejays, so I'll be nosing around for those. That's an engineering feat that one! And inspired wonderful paintings. Happy New Year to you Julie.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Lauren, and how delighted I am to see you posting work again. Sophie is a wonderful painting. Thank you for the link to R Ruckstuhl blog.
DeleteHappy New Year, Julie! These are both exquisite, but I especially love the patterns of negative spaces -- particularly evident in the second larger painting. As a fellow bird-devotee, I also admire the remarkable engineering of these tiny creatures, and I imagine you must almost lose yourself when painting the intricacies of their creations. The textures and tiny details are wonerfully compelling. How clever of you to display the nest itself as you have done. Along with its elegant branch it makes a marvelous sculptural addition to your doorway.
ReplyDeletePainting the nests are the most meditative paintings I do. I cannot explain what happens inside me when I paint them but it has never grown old and I have painted far more than anyone can imagine. I never seem do them the same way either. Congratulations on your new painting. I think it is a wonderful gift and your ability to project into the future is amazing. You must have seen her coloring and build in your mind.The same as one of her parents maybe?
DeleteHappy New Year Julie! (The turquoise in that first painting sold me!)
ReplyDeleteI guess we both love color. Congrats on being January so the first one on the calendar. Fabulous painting of an incredible view.
DeleteYes, color is the bomb :) Thank you! Maybe someday you will see this place!?
DeleteOK you know I love your bird's nest paintings, Julie, but I have a questions about keeping a nest......do you soak it in a bucket of water or something to clean out the nasty stuff or have you only gotten clean ones to begin with? I've had some Mike has brought in the house for me and had to toss them because of the mites and other stuff in them. Of course I would ask this question.....
ReplyDeleteI pop them in a bag and place them in the freezer for a month. Then for extra caution you could lightly spray with bug spray but I never had a problem. Inside the freezer either!! I had to get permission years ago from the US Fish and Game to collect feathers and avian stuff and they gave me info on what to do. Heat is another way. I had one burst into flames so that ended that! Love that you asked it!
DeleteBoth of these are really lovely and it is hard to pick a favorite...although I am leaning toward the blue one a bit. I loved how you said you felt as if you built the next with all the layering you did. That made me smile. Happy New Year!!! I hope 2019 is filled with love, joy, good health, friendships, and inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely wishes. The same back to you, my friend. I was so pleased to see your wonderful post of A Year In Review. It was such a delight to take my time and enjoy the highlights of your year. Thank you.
DeleteI'm in love with both these nests, Julie! It is always a marvel to behold the workmanship in a nest (except for dove nests as they generally lay down 4-6 sticks any which way and call it done!) I admire your own touches with texture and color in painting these two. Your nests are always architectural marvels with lots of "Home, Sweet Home" feeling to them.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol, I hope you are fully recovered and enjoyed the holidays/ I laughed about the doves. It is so true about a few sticks but my daughter has the same ability to make a home out of almost nothing so now I look at the doves in a new way. They are busy beavers producing a couple of offsprings a year. They return to their same nest when possible or throw a couple more twigs on the pile if needed. The Mourning Doves mate for life. So many neat things about them.
DeleteLovely visiting with you, Carol.
I would love to have an eagle's nest. They can get so big and are full of all kinds of trinkets, but probably very very illegal to have one in some places
ReplyDeleteOnly the American Indians are allowed to have an eagle feather. One could drop at my feet and i would not be allowed to keep it. I painted a beautiful one but it was in the owners house. Luckily for me some of the smaller birds have smazing patterns on their feathers.
DeleteTalking of feathers. I was just looking at your Gryphon #11. How on earth do you do that? It looks like sculpture. Amazing.
I've know a few people that were not First Nations people that had eagle feathers but there were gifts from a native person. someone ended up going to jail and paying a BIG fine near where i use to live for cutting down an eagles nest because he didnt want it on his farm :/
Deleteand lots of patience and crossing of fingers the computer doesnt crash when working on the gryphon lol
Oh Dear Julie your paintings of the nests are simply gorgeous. You certainly can see the great design in both of these my friend. Love them.
ReplyDelete