In this peaceful scene the swan is preparing to take off from the water as evidenced by the turbulence behind her. Swans are heavy birds and require some effort to take off from a still lake. For a free lesson on how to paint this trumpeter either as a beginner or an advanced painter, please […]

This beautiful flower, called Champagne Lace was named the rhododendron of the year for 2016 by the American Rhododendron Society. In this picture  I attempted to be as botanically accurate as possible showing the flower in full bloom. Because we are dealing with a very light colored flower I have painted the shadows in the […]

In this picture I attempted to be as botanically accurate as possible in the foreground showing the flowers in full bloom but used a looser style in the background to show depth of field. I chose an environment of milkweed because not only is that their habitat, they are conveniently a contrasting color of orange […]

          This magnificent bird has a wingspan of 1 to 1.5 meters. It is amazing how it can fly through the branches of a dense forest gracefully and not hit a tree. Early naturalists called him the ‘Winged Tiger”. The distinctive ‘horns’ are really feathers behind his ears that flare up […]

This picture is a good example of what ink and watercolor can accomplish. The tree trunks and branches are drawn using waterproof ink on paper first. I have not tried to be as botanically accurate as possible but, instead displayed an informal variety of trees positioned at different distances and pointing in different directions. Follow […]

          This beautiful bird is found in the winter in Canada and the Northeastern Seaboard of the United States. The female cardinal does not share the amazing colours which belong to the male but can be drawn from the same outline. More information can be found at the National Audubon Society. […]