Mountain Bluebird ACEO in acrylics

I have had this one printed out for ages to paint.  The main reason that it has taken me so long to paint it, it because I wasn't sure if I would be able to get enough variation in colours so it didn't end up looking flat and lifeless.  I ended up using  a combination of Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue and Prussian Blue which worked rather well.

Mountain Bluebirds across Western North America and as far North as Alaska. The range between 16 - 20 cm in length and weight around 30 grams.

Mountain Bluebird measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches Watercolour Paper.

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Many thanks to Dave Slaughter for the reference photo.

Red Bellied Woodpecker ACEO in acrylics

I really enjoyed painting this one - it all just seemed to come together.  I thought the pattern on its wings would be a problem but I actually painted the white markings first and then just went around with the black - worked rather well.  I am rather pleased with the end result. 

Red - Bellied Woodpeckers breed across Southern Canada and the north -eastern United States.  They can be found as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas.  The most prominent red part is its head plumage so the name Red Bellied Woodpecker is a bit misleading.


Red - Bellied Woodpecker measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Rodney Campbell for the reference photo.

Cruising the Canals in watercolours

This one was fun to paint.  It brought back memories of  my holiday to the UK many years ago.  I loved cruising the canals and just watching the beautiful landscape pass by.

All my Christmas shopping is done - thank goodness.  Shops were hectic as usual.   Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cruising the Canals measures approx. 10 x 8 inches and is painted on 300gsm rough Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Elaine Cross for the reference photo.

Humming Bird ACEO in acrylics

This one was fun to paint.  I did have to paint it twice though.  First time round I wasn't happy with the neck feathers - they just looked to flat and lifeless - tried fixing them but in the end I decided to start again.  Much happier with them the second time around.

Humming Bird measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Jennie Norris for the reference photo.

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Puerto Rican Tody ACEO in acrylics

I enjoyed painting this one.  This birds are found on Puerto Rica Island. It is known locally by the locals as San Pedrito which means Little Saint Peter.  They have an average body length of 11cm and weigh about 5 - 6 grams.

Puerto Rican Tody measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Ron Knight for the reference photo.

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Double Eyed Fig Parrot in Acrylics

I was a bit worried painting this one as there was a lot of green.  It was  interesting painting the green figs to stand out again the  the green feathers.  I find that Ultramarine Blue and transparent yellow mixed together makes a lovely green.  I am rather pleased how it turned out in the end.

Double Eyed Fig Parrots are Australia's smallest parrot being on average around 14 cm in length.  They are found down the east coast of Australia from Cape York Peninsula to northern New South Wales. They are also found in New Guinea. 

Double Eyed Fig Parrot measures 6 x 4 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to James Niland for the reference photo.

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Country Stroll in watercolours

I have had this one printed out for a while to paint but couldn't decide on what medium. Finally settled on watercolours.  Was rather fun to paint.  I am thinking of painting a few more watercolours as I enjoy painting the watercolour landscapes and I have quite a few  reference photos that I can use that would suit the watercolour medium.

Country Stroll measures 7 x 5 inches and is painted on 300gsm Arches rough watercolour paper.

The painting is available for purchase from my Etsy shop.  To view the listing, please click here.

Many thanks to Elaine Cross for the reference photo.

Autumn River in acrylics

I finally got around to painting this landscape.   I painted this one a bit differently - painted the whole panel with the blue sky colour first.  Once that was dry, I painted in the dark green forest and then once that had dried I stippled in the autumn foliage colours using a deerfoot stippler - this brush is great for foliage. Then I just painted in the water reflections and added the rocks.  Rather pleased how it turned out in the end.

Autumn River measures 6 x 4 inches and is painted on canvas board.

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Many thanks to Kathy Detweiler for the reference photo.

Blue Tit in acrylics

The panels I ordered arrived last week so I decided to try them out by painting this lovely bird.  I have had it printed out for a while but was waiting for a 8 x 6 inch panel.

I rather liked painting on the surface so will have to try them out with oils - just have to decide on what to paint - thinking of painting an animal for a change. 

Blue Tit's are found across Europe and Western Asia.

Blue Tit measures 8 x 6 inches and is painted on Raymar's Feather Light Smooth Portrait Cotton 1/16"  panel.

Many thanks to Kev Chapman for the reference photo.

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European Robin ACEO in acrylics

So next is the European Robin which I always love painting.  They range in length from 12.5 to 14 cm so are about half the size of the American Robin.  I actually have another one to paint but it will be in oils.

European Robin measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Gary Jones for the reference photos.

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American Robin ACEO in acrylics

I decided to paint both an American Robin and an European Robin.  So first up is the American Robin.  It is found across Northern America and was named after the European Robin because of the reddish - orange breast but they are not closely related.  The America Robin is part of the thrush family whereas the European Robin is part of the flycatcher family.  The American Robin ranges in length from 23 to 28 cm and the average weight is around 77 grams.

American Robin measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches Watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Rita Morgan for the reference photo.

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Country Track in watercolours

I have been wanting to paint another watercolour landscape for ages so finally got around to painting one.  I changed the reference photo a bit - added the flowers and created a field on the right hand side (was just dense trees foliage in the reference photo). Also thought about changing the fence to run alongside the track but in the ended left it as is.  Rather pleased how it turned out - the clouds were a happy accident - was going for  different effect but I wasn't happy how it was going so ended up lifting paint with paper towel and my clouds were suddenly formed.

 Country Track measure 10 x 8 inches and is painted on 300 gsm rough Arches watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Steve Lyddon for the reference photo.

Flame Robin in acrylics

I loved painting this one.  Everything just seemed to work and I am really pleased with the result. 

I have found another reference photo of a butterfly.  This time a American Lady.  I have painted the background so will paint the butterfly in the next few days. 

Also, I ordered a few Raymar 6 x 8 canvas panel to try out and they should arrive next week.  Just want to try them before placing another order for panels.  The Raymar panels are a lot lighter than the Ampersand Gessobord panels, are available in a few different sizes and come in packs of 10 so I am looking forward to trying them out. 

Flame Robin measures 6 x 4 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Eastern Yellow Robin ACEO in acrylics

I really enjoyed painting this one.  Love the angle of its head.   Rather pleased how it turned out.

Eastern Yellow Robin measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300 gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to James Niland for the reference photo.

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White Eyed Vireo ACEO in acrylics

This little songbird is found in eastern and southern United States.  They are about 11 - 13 cm in length.  An interesting fact is that they bath by rubbing themselves again wet foliage.

White Eyed Vireo measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300 gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren for the reference photo.

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Tiger Swallowtail in acrylics

So here is the butterfly.  I really enjoyed painting this one  - the wings took a lot longer to paint than I thought it would as it took a while to get the wings right.  Really pleased with the final painting.  I am thinking about  painting  a few more butterflies so will see how I go with finding same suitable reference photos.

Tiger Swallowtail measures are 6 x 6 inches and is painted on Ampersand Gessobord panel.

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Many thanks to K Brooks for the reference photo.

Scarlet Robin in Acrylics

I did finish the butterfly painting - actually only finished it on Friday - took longer to paint than I thought it would.  Just waiting for the paint to cure before varnishing it so will post it in the next few days. 

This is the other one I had lined up to paint. I am rather pleased how it turned out.  Scarlet Robins can be found across Australia and can be confused with the Flame Robin.  The Scarlet Robin has a larger white patch above its bill compared to the Flame Robin.

Scarlet Robin measures 6 x 4 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Rainbow Bee-eater in acrylics

I first printed this one out to paint as a 6 x 4 inch but the bird seemed to be lost in the background. So I then tried a 7 x 5 inch but still wasn't happy with the size  so finally settled on a  9 x 7 inch. It needed a larger size to do justice to this beautiful bird.    I loved painting this one - just love its colouring and I am rather pleased how it turned out.  These birds can be found around Australia except in Tasmania. They are a medium size bird ranging from 21 - 28 cm in length and weigh around 27 grams.

Rainbow Bee-eater measures 9 x 7 inches and is painted on canvas board / panel.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Autumn Woods ACEO in acrylics

My two favourite season's to paint are Autumn and Spring - love the autumn colours and colourful flowers of spring.  I have another Autumn scene lined up to paint but it will be 6 x 4 inches on canvas board.   I actually have three paintings all ready to go - the 6 x 4 Autumn scene,  a 6 x 6 butterfly and  6 x 4 Scarlet Robin. I am planning on working on the butterfly this afternoon - hopefully I will be able to finish it in one sitting.

Autumn Woods measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Glennis Weston for the reference photo.

Red Backed Fairy Wren ACEO

This little fellow lives down the road from me - down by the lake.  (The residential estate I live in, has a lot of manmade lakes with nature corridors which are  link with  walking / cycling paths.)  I have being trying for ages to take a good reference photo and eventually I  used a photo that is not the best but it gave me a reference point to do a painting from.   I am rather pleased how it turned out.    I love watching them - they just don't sit still for very long. They are tiny birds  measuring around 11.5 cm and that includes the 6cm tail and on average weigh 8 grams.

Red Backed Fairy Wren measure 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300 gsm smooth watercolour paper.

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Red Browed Finch in acrylics

I decided to paint another Red Browed Finch but in a larger format.  I thought I was finished but when I came to scan it, I decided I needed to do a bit more work of the back feathers. So after a bit of tweaking I am rather pleased with the final piece.  In interesting fact about them is that they are highly sociable birds and are often seen in small flocks of 10 to 20 birds. 

Red Browed Finch measures 6 x 4 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Silvereye ACEO in Acrylics

I often see these little bird around.  They belong to a group of birds known as white-eyes. It interesting that they have slightly different plumage depending which part of the country they live in and are found across Australia expect in the Northern Territories.

Silvereye measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Red Capped Robin ACEO in acrylics

I decided to paint another red capped robin. I love the position this bird is sitting on the branch.    An interesting fact about these birds is that red plumage is from two red keto-carotenoid pigments and since they are unable to synthesize the compounds themselves, they have to obtain it from their food.

Red Capped Robin measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Letter to Santa ACEO in acrylics

I have been thinking about painting this little scene for a while after coming across the reference photo of the mail box. I just had to find the right mouse, landscape  and raccoon reference photo to complete the picture.  Ended up using 4 reference photos in the end and I am rather please with the result.

Letter to Santa measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painting on 300gsm smooth Archers watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Joseph Honings, Yvonne L Ham, Dave Webb and Orphie Barella for the reference photos.

Santa ACEO in acrylics

I have wanted to paint a Christmas scene for a long time and especially after seeing snow in Tasmania. I would love to experience a white Christmas. When I saw the winter landscape scene and the Santa photo, it just all come together and I just had to paint my little Santa scene. It was interesting painting the Santa so small and painting the teddy bear was a bit of a challenge - strangely enough I used my no 3 round brush for most the painting as it comes to a nice fine point which is all I needed.  I am really pleased with the result. 

Santa measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Maria Balcells and Donna Klarenbach for the reference photos.

Crested Shrike Tit in acrylics

I am also really pleased how this one turned.  I love the crest of this bird - very striking.  An interesting fact about them is that they can be heard tearing the bark of trees look for insects. 

Crested Shrike Tit measures 4 x 6 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Eastern Yellow Robin in Acrylics

I love it when I painting just comes together.  This was on of them.  Everything just seemed to work and I am really pleased how it turned out. Eastern Yellow Robins are about 15 - 16 cm in length so they are one of our larger robins.

Eastern Yellow Robin measures 4 x 6 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Zebra Finch ACEO in Acrylics

I managed to take a reference photo of this bird when on holiday in Tasmania. . It was in a bird aviary with other finches when I visited a zoo in Richmond.   I love it's markings. They are not actually found in Tasmania - they are only found on  mainland Australia.  They are also found in Indonesia and East Timor and have been introduced to Puerto Rico, Portugal, Brazil and United States.  .

Zebra Finch measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches Watercolour paper.

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Olive Backed Sunbird ACEO in Acrylics

I enjoyed painting this one - love its colouring. The Olive Backed Sunbird is also known as the Yellow Bellied Sunbird.  They are a small honeyeater like bird and are about 12 cm long. They are found in much of coastal Queensland and are also found in Coastal New Guinea and parts of South East Asia

Olive Backed Sunbird measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to James Niland for the reference photo.

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Northern Parula ACEO in acrylics

These birds are one of the smaller Northern migratory warblers.   They breed in Eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida and  vary in length between 10.8 - 12.4 cm and weight between 5 - 11 grams.

Northern Parula measure 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren for the reference photo.

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Superb Fairy Wren in watercolours

Photographed this little fellow at Liffey Falls.  He was also fascinated by his reflection in the car mirrors.  I was undecided on which medium to use but finally settled on watercolour as I have painted a few wren's now in both  oils and acrylics so thought watercolours made for a nice change.  It is a bit different painting in watercolours -  had to preserve the white of the paper for highlights and can't paint as detailed as I normally do.  Rather pleased with the result though.

Superb Fairy Wren measures 7 x 5 inches and is painted on 300gsm rough Arches watercolour paper.

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Spring ACEO in acrylics

I had fun painting this one. Loved painting the flowers.

I actually want to paint the tulip fields I saw in Tasmania - just haven't quite worked out how to paint them yet.    I have a few ideas so something will eventually just click. 

Spring measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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Striated Pardalote in acrylics

This is the other painting that I never got around to painting before my holiday. I used the same background colours as the Spotted Pardalote which I think works really well.  The average size of a Striated Pardalote 9 cm and weigh around 11 grams.

Striated Pardalote measures 6 x 4 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Pink Robin ACEO in acrylics

I couldn't wait to  paint the Pink Robin I saw at Liffey Falls so here he is. They are not found in Queensland - they are only found in south-eastern Australia and are listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales. They are a lovely little bird - I was really lucky to have come back to the car park just when he was admiring himself in the car's side mirror otherwise I wouldn't have got any reference photos.  They move too quickly in the forest.

Pink Robin measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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European Goldfinch ACEO in acrylics

I had this one all ready to paint before I went on holiday but never got around to painting it - I had a few computer and mobile phone problems which threw my painting schedule out the window

I saw quite a few of these birds in Tasmania - they were introduced to Australia in the19th century.  I wasn't able to get any good shots of them around the accommodation I was staying at but I did visit a zoo in Richmond and they had an aviary with different finches and one of them was the Goldfinch. Managed to take a few good photos so I am planning on painting another one but it will be in a larger format with a more detailed flower background.

European Goldfinch measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Kev Chapman for the reference photo.

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Bluebells ACEO in acrylics

This was the last painting I painted before going on holiday - needed a break from the details of the birds.   Rather pleased how it turned out. Looking forward to painting again - need to go through my photos from my holiday and print some out that I can use as references.  The view from the Deloraine accommodation was lovely - overlooked farmland and a lake so will have to paint that scene.  Also, managed to get a good reference photo of the Richmond Bridge which I am already thinking about painting plus I can't wait to paint my Pink Robin and fairy wren.

Bluebells measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Terri for the reference photo.

Spotted Pardalote in acrylics

I loved painting this one - it just all seemed to come together.  Really like my background colour too.  I am also going to be painting a 6 x 4 inch Striated Pardalote with a similar background colour - just ran out of time to paint it before going on holiday so will paint it in the next few days.

Spotted Pardalote measures 6 x 4 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches Watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Wayne Butterworth for the reference photo.

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Chaffinch ACEO in acrylics

I love the colouring of this bird.  They are found in much Europe, across Asia to Siberia and also in northwest Africa.  They grow to about 14.5 cm in length and are part of the finch family.

Chaffinch measures 3.5 x  2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Kev Chapman for the reference photo.

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Flame Robin ACEO in acrylics and Holiday to Tasmania

I have been on holiday to Tasmania for 10 days and had a lovely holiday.  Saw the most spectacular tulips at Wynyard. It is the first time that they have opened up the whole farm to visitors (http://www.vdqbulbs.com.au) -  normally they grow just one field of tulips for visitors.  There were just rows and rows and rows of tulips - quite breathtaking - spent about 2 hours wondering the 20 acres.

You can experience all seasons in Tasmania as on the drive through to Derwent Bridge to see the Wall of Wilderness  (http://www.thewalltasmania.com), I actually drove through snow and it actually started to snow!!! It was a bit of a surreal experience and a highlight of the trip. 

 

 

 

Another highlight was seeing the Pink Robin as Liffey Falls - I saw one walking along the path to the falls, but couldn't get any good photos of it.  But when I got back to the car, there was one sitting on the mirror of another car and I managed to take quite a few shots.  Also a Superb Fairy Wren was  fascinated by its reflections so also managed to get some good reference photos of it too. So there will be a few paintings of pink robins and fairy wrens coming.

I painted this one before I went away on holiday and love how it turned out - very nearly ended up in the bin as I just couldn't get it to come together - I am blaming it on the fact I decided to try something different and paint the beak first - think I will stick to painting the eyes first and leaving the beak until last.

Flame Robin measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Tropical Beach ACEO in acrlyics

I needed a break from painting detail so decided to paint this little seascape scene.  I added the birds as I thought it added a bit of interest.  It was fun painting a little seascape for a change so will have to look for some more reference photos. I will have to look into  buying a miniature fan brush as it would make painting the palm trees a lot easier.

Tropical Beach measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to Barbara Norton for the reference photo.

Thatch Cottage ACEO in acrylics

I had fun painting this one.  It was a bit tricky painting the windows and adding a bit a depth to the cottage. I decided that the cottage wouldn't be complete without flowers so I added them and  I am rather pleased how the painting  turn out.

Thatch Cottage measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Philip Gale for the reference photo.

Scarlet Robin ACEO in acrylics

I decided to paint another Scarlet Robin as I do enjoy painting them - love their vibrant red feathers.  I will have to look for another reference photo as I would like to paint another one but in oils and in a larger format.

Scarlet Robin measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to  Patrick Kavanagh for the reference photo.

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Pekin Robin ACEO in acrylics

These little bird are known by a few different names - Red Billed Leiothrix, Pekin Robin, Pekin Nightingale, Japanese Nightingale and Japanese (Hill) Robin.  They are usually found in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma and parts of Tibet.  They were introduced to a few countries around the world including Western Australia but only become established in parts of France and the Hawaiian Island of Oahu

Pekin Robin measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Clare Smith for the reference photo.

Lilac Breasted Roller ACEO in acrylics

 I just love all the different coloured  feathers this bird has. These birds can be found in sub Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula.  It is the national bird of Botswana and Kenya. I will have to have a look for another  reference photo is it would be interesting to paint a larger oil version.

Lilac Breasted Roller measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gms smooth Arches watercolour paper.

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Many thanks to Gary Jones for the reference photo.

Mallee Emu Wren in Acrylics

I decided to paint this one in acrylics mainly because I wanted to paint it in one sitting.  If I had painted in oils, I would have had to wait for the layers to dry to add the finer details.  The Mallee Emu Wren can be found in north western Victoria and south eastern South Australia and are listed as endangered species.  They are about 16.5 cm in length  from head to tail.

Mallee Emu Wren measures 7 x 5 inches and is painted on Ampersand Gessobord panel.

Many thanks to Ron Knight for the reference photo.

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Nuthatch ACEO in acrylics

I just love the way these birds cling to trees.  They make for interesting paintings. This one is a Red Breasted Nuthatch and is found across western northern temperate North America and winters much across the US and southern Canada.

Nuthatch measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and is painted on 300gsm smooth Arches watercolour paper.

Many thanks to  Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren  for the reference photo.

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