The Original Feather Comforter!

Original Down Comforter

24'x24" oil on Gallery Wrap canvas. Sold

Artist Note

This is a painting full of 

painting love, frustration, then

back to love.

It is one of the hardest nests 

I have ever painted

and I have done hundreds.

Did you know that is is the early egg laying

birds who use feathers to

keep the eggs from getting cold?

Mother Nature thought of everything!

Obviously, it was the influence for the title.

An friend's husband came up with it.

(Thank you Carlos.)

My first efforts were fast and painterly.

I liked it.

But it did not describe the nest and 

all the careful work the birds 

had put into it. 

Out of all of that work I had to make some sense of order.

24"x 24" is large for me

 and it has taken a long time to paint.

I did take my time and tried to capture

the different textures and subtle colors.

Not easy for an impressionist

who loves color so there are delightful 

spots of color here and there.

The person who found the nest 

after a huge wind storm gave it to me

but did not know what type of bird made it.

Neither do I, plus it is the first one 

I have seen of its kind.

 The young lady who bought it

had seen it in progress on a visit 

to my studio and it "spoke to her heart."

When I emailed her a pic of the 

finished painting... 

she wanted it.

And that made me very happy....

going to a home where it will be loved.

Turquoise Nest, New Mexico.

Turquoise Nest NM

11"X 14"  oil on gallery wrap canvas.  

Artist Note

New Mexico Turquoise is a much beloved

and prized gemstone and its color

 is reflected everywhere, here in New Mexico
...leading up to why

I want to add a turquoise colored nest
to my Avian series.

I have not been painting due to my hubby 

having his second heart attack 

just over a month ago which has left his heart

rather damaged 

and our routines totally changed.

The good news is 

he is a man with a lovely disposition

which makes everything nicer

and easier for me.

I am getting back into the studio 

for one or two hour blocks of
emotionally important time.

I am always amazed at how difficult it can be 

to get back into the flow. 

Fortunately, I had started the study before

the, you know what, hit the fan!

The above nest is a study for a larger painting.

When I say larger...

how about  30"X 40" For me that is huge!

Below is the unfinished one.

I started the large one with the intent to complete it 

for a show I was having, back three years ago,

when I unfortunately tore my meniscus and

had to put it on the back burner.

Since then, the house went on the market, 

the beloved studio was cleaned out 

and this was put into storage.

When coming back to a painting already started

I find doing a smaller study 

helps me get back on track.

The paint quality of the background 

on the large one consists of thin washes 

of colors and I had to 

figure out if I should glaze, texture or both.
I did both on the study.
Still pondering...

Threesome - Watercolor on Yupo

Threesome
9"x7" watercolor on Yupo SOLD

Artist Note
This a piece from
my Avian show
last November.
I loved doing it.

I am happy to report that
the yard/garage sale went very well.
I was well-prepared, thanks
to the helpful hints from
my blogger friends.

It was even fun... due to
several fabulous friends
who turned up to help
with
laughter and energy.

We didn't have one
difficult customer and
very few "negotiators".
I would say that my
first and last
yard sale
showed me how
really nice most people are.
I feel blessed!

Bouquet of Yellow

Bouquet of Yellow

6x8in oil on canvas panel $140.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note.

It was fun to get back to the 

fracturing technique in oils.

I find that although I use the 

same technique in other mediums,

only the acrylic comes 

close to the same effect as oils.

Another from my avian show.

Waiting  13 x10"

acrylic SOLD

Quite a fun one to paint

pushing into the abstract.

I used the fracturing 

technique a lot

It doesn't really show,  

but first I wrote 

all over the white surface 

with my thoughts 

about the avian world 

and then painted over them.

Small areas of it

appear here and there.

Watercolor Pleasure

Trio

6in x6in gouache on Aquabord 

Painted just for me!

Artist Note.

From my nest collection... 

a little jewel 

with a turquoise strand 

woven through it

 adds a touch of color

against the neutral 

grasses and twigs.

I added Chinese White  

to my watercolors to add 

the body I like.

Aquabord is perfect for 

this, and takes a protective

wax finish beautifully.

My daughter and a friend 

are in to help celebrate

my birthday so I will be

having too much fun

to reply to any comments!

I know you understand.

Dry Weed Nest and Line in Watercolor

 Dry Weed Nest

6x6in  watercolor on aquabord 

waxed. NFS

Artist Note

I was asked to explain about 

line in watercolor

and how it is used.

This one is for you, Edith!

Traditionally, water-colorists have used a pencil

to draw their subject. Often they will go over

the pencil line with a stronger paint line

where they want to describe the form

with more emphasis. Line can change from 

thin to thick, straight to round, 

over or under a mass of color.

In my nest above I used line

with opaque paint over a dark base.

It is called "form line" because it 

follows the direction of the form

A curve is a curve or  

straight is straight...etc.

I mixed different values

 to create the weaving of the grasses.

In the painting below,

Winslow Homer used the form 

line around parts of the boat
creating an outline, and 

even lightly around the sail 

at the back.
This was to create a separation
between boat and water.
So form line and outline are the same
thing, but used for different reasons.

If you look at the clouds

you will see the edges

are formed from the 

mass of the sky color.

No line. But the weeds

and lines on water are 

line. The way he painted

the dark shadow under the 

right end of the boat

could be a lyrical line...

it is expressive and 

yummy as it dissolves into an area of shadow

Andrew Wyeth, below, has obvious lines which

emphasizes the flow and direction of the water.

They merge into an area of color. No longer a line.

Sargent, below, has the lady on the right 

with lines to describe the folds of her

clothes, but on the lady on the left 

he used a softer line and

gently massed in with color.

Ask why one and not the other?

Most likely to direct the eye to her

first, but he did add a sharp line on the 

bonnet to bring some focus 

back to the other one..

 Line can be an important way to 

add some direction and emphasis.

Sargent used lyrical or expressive lines to 

describe the flounces in the one below.
And left it "as is". 

Many of the popular artists of today

like to use the line all the way through

their painting as a style -instead of using them for 

direction or emphasis. 

See Stefan Duncan below

My personal fav is

Shirley Trevena who is

 brilliant 

at mixing all types of line and mass.

Explore all the lines in this one.

It is fun to look through art

magazines trying to find the 

different types of LINE.

If you stuck all the way through this - I thank you!

Edith - hope you enjoyed it.

Dryer Lint Nest.

Dryer Lint Nest

6x7" watercolor on Yupo
Sold

I was given this wonderful nest last week.
The eggs were still in there - never hatched.
Lots of dryer lint was attached by strands
of horse tail hair and stuffed between twigs.
Quite amazing how those birds are such
good engineers...
BUT
they do not know dryer lint is bad for
them if they use it.

Chemicals 
From the soap and dryer sheets.
Dust
Dry, loose lint causes respiratory problems.
Scent
Attracts predators right to a vulnerable nest

There are other serious problems too,
 but the thing I hope to pass on
 is not to put dryer lint out for
the birds during the nesting season.
I used to, but not anymore.

There had to be a reason these eggs
did not hatch.

Side Entry Nest - day 30 in the challenge

Side Entry Nest

11x9" watercolor on Yupo Paper NFS

Day 30

Artist Note.

A friend gave me this wonderful

nest recently.  

He knew that the nest was no 

longer occupied and he thoughtfully

included the tree branches which 

supported it rather than

destroy it's structure.

I love the "side entry" type nest, but this one 

tragically came with two tiny

skeletons in the interior.

Unanswered questions.

Were they too large to have

been recently hatched?

Or were they the parents?

I will be very respectful 

in my handling of them 

and their lovingly made home

If you can use your imagination

 there are two leaves up on the right

near the opening which I painted to 

form an abstract shape suggesting

a bird flying towards it.

This is the last painting

for the challenge.

I will do a wrap up of my experience 

tomorrow.

HOME! - day 2 - 30 Day Challenge

Home!

8x8in watercolor on paper NFS

A study for future painting.

This is a new nest a friend gave me. 

(The eggs were not in it.)

I could paint nests for a week and be happy.

I marvel at the intricate weaving of twigs and 

other materials. 

This one was lined at the bottom 

with tiny, fluffy feathers

Their very own therapedic topper!

Nest With Three Eggs

Nest With Three Eggs

5 x 7 in  watercolor on Yupo paper

NFS

Another piece painted in the car. 

The road bumps can be very handy!

How about this nest below?

Small snake OR big egg!!!

It was forwarded to me but I have no name to pass on for credit

Nest With Dryer Lint

Nest With Dryer Lint

6x8 watercolor on Yupo Paper NFS

This nest is loaded with lint from the dryer, It is woven between the 

twigs, horse hair and grasses. What a beautifully soft

place for the babies to emerge into.

Artist Note.

This one is another painting done on the trip to the dentist.

It was painted by memory of a particular nest I have.

The Yupo lends itself very well  to this type of technique 

- just a few areas of detail with  lots of washes.

I am finding it is best to do the washes FIRST.

I place a few drops of oxgall into the water.

and let the wash dry before going back in with an 

almost dry brush for the details. 

Easy to lift off an area for light spots, but I also did opaque areas for lint

on top of the washed areas.  I went into a dark color next using a rigger

I had a very light touch and a flowing consistency of paint.

Still learning the "how to" of Yupo.

Left the Nest

Left the Nest

6x8in oil on canvas panel

It is that time of year again when the bird nests are thriving.
I paint the nests for pure pleasure and hate to sell them.
I am going to live with this one for a while because I am not
capturing what I feel about it.

Artist Note.

Regarding the previous post of painting in the car. I call it a car
but I have an old Sienna van.
The secret to keeping everything on your lap if you hit
 the bumps - is this magic tray.

It has the cushion attached underneath which rests securely on
the lap. The raised edge on the top stops anything slipping off
in case of sudden stops.

Nest, Feather and Eggs

Nest, Feather and Egg

oil on canvas panel.  SOLD

Day 17

This is a commission.  I usually do not do commissions,
but this is for a friend who arrived at the gallery where
I had my Avian Architecture exhibit, too late...
they were all gone.
So this is # 38, painted especially for a very dear friend.
And keeping in my gallery's good graces!

Magnolia Tree Nest

Magnolia Tree Nest

16x20in  oil on canvas   SOLD

The gallery told me that this painting could have sold several
times over. There is usually at least one painting with popular
appeal.  The nest is in my daughter's back yard and when I
first saw it the tree was dormant. We had no idea that it
would be so gorgeous a couple of weeks later.

Artist Note.

I thought I would share my process on this painting. It was quite difficult.
I hate anyone to think that I can produce paintings without any problems.
It is usually the middle of the painting where it becomes tough for me.
In this painting the dilemma became ...nest or flower in the focal area?
I did some sketches like I always do. Sorry the images are poor.

I decided to move the flowers so they would link to the nest.
I have never painted tulip magnolias before - especially in
a tree where it appears there are hundreds of them.
I had to place and group them so they would not
appear "spotty." In the shot below you can see my first attempt.
I had two areas which fought each other.

then my second attempt...it got even worse.

(Another poor image for the color)
The flowers became too dominant, especially the open one.
I added green leaves and laughed when I stepped back and
saw the bright white flower. Off with its head! I scraped it down
and painted it again with better values. Remember - white in 
the shadows is a similar value to black in the light.
Then I painted a flower bud in front of it. This was an opportunity
for layering (depth) and better linkage of the different values around it.
The nest was still too separate so I thickened the tree branch
in the front of the nest, and added another branch from that one.
Then I made the buds open up a bit in front of the nest and
started to refine all the areas - especially the nest and the texture
of the tree. I did a lot of negative painting for the
background creating the thinner branches.
Hard work for the brain, but the pleasure of trying to solve the problems
is what brings me satisfaction and I forget the stage where I want to
put a razor blade through it. Speaking of that. Guess what? I do not know if
you remember the 48x36 (way back) I was having problems with?
It was the main reason I had to stop blogging for a while.
Well, I ended up putting the razor to it to stop me from
trying to save it. I will be showing that whole process in another post.

Avian Architecture

Windblown

9x12in  egg tempera   For sale through the gallery*

Phew - it is over. Life will resume its normal flow.
First, I need to thank some people.
I had a wonderful friend drive 500 miles RT to come and
take care of the meals for several days. Her name is Pam Cox
and she deserves a friendship gold medal!
She happens to be a gourmet cook so good food
was plentiful. Thank you very much, Pam.
Another friend made me some fabulous postcards with images on them
to hand out. This was managed during a difficult time for her.
A big thank you to Marjorie Van Dormolen.
Lindy Bridgers made 4 dozen nests from chocolate covered rice noodles
and popped a little candy egg in the center. What a wonderful friend.
Lisa Kubiak gave me a gorgeous necklace made by a local artist of a
silver nest with three pearls. Perfect for the opening and lots of
admiring comments were given. Thank you Lisa.
My wonderful daughter who gave me valuable critiques drove in
as did son #1 and my darling goddaughter.
A huge thank you of course to Gail, Mark and Max at the gallery. They
had wonderful refreshments and champagne. The show was hung beautifully.
They kept their cool right up to the last minute delivery of
a huge wet painting. Great people.

Thursday, May 2nd was my opening reception.
The invitation was large at  6x8in  (first class postage!)
I used the photo (below) of some of my nests and you can see a
couple of my paintings - in both the top corners.
I did a large ard so it would get noticed between the junk mail.

Artist Note

I had no idea how the public would react to a show strictly on bird nests,
but it turned out that it was a very popular theme.
The show was a collection from three years of painting these amazing
avian structures, strictly for personal pleasure. I enjoy building them
with paint the way the birds do using different materials. It is a puzzle
why I respond to nests so emotionally, but I truly do. I can clearly remember
trying to draw one I could see from the window when I was about 6.
The bird was not as fascinating as the nest and it is still the same today.

Some of my first paintings on this blog were several
of the nests included in the show.
Below are a few wonderful nests from my collection - the one in the
painting above them is a Sandhill Crane Nest. 48x36in

Tomorrow I will show some of the watercolors I did.

My last thank you is for my supportive group of blogging friends.
I have missed you and I am looking forward to trolling
to see what you all have been up to.

*M Phillips Gallery phone number
575-525-1367

Flo's Nest

Flo's Nest
6"x8" oil on canvas 100.

Another completely different nest. I expect to most viewers they all look the same but as I carefully study them before I paint them I am struck by the differences in nest construction and the materials used.

This beauty is narrower at the top, broad and low at the base with a lot of woven, soft materials like moss, lint and even bits of newspaper. The form of this one reminds me of my grandcat because she has a "skirt" hanging down underneath.
My friend found it under some pine trees and mentioned that the oak leaf suprised her as there are no oak trees for miles around.
Neither of us know what type of bird built this nest.

Flo Hosa Dougherty is a wonderful artist and she loaned me this nest. Thank you, Flo.