Bird Nesting Season

Watching Over Baby
watercolor & gouache on watercolor paper
8x10

Spring in Florida is nesting season for many birds.  This Great White Egret at the nest with her tiny chick lives at the Venice Rookery in Venice, Florida.  The Rookery is an island of mangroves in the middle of a lake.  In the spring, it is full of nesting egrets, herons, anhingas, and cormorants.  It is a peaceful place, other than the sounds of the many birds that make it their home.  In the bushes around the lake, redwing blackbirds flash their red patches and cackle.  The Rookery is down the street from the Venice Audubon Center.

For more information about this painting and more bird paintings and fine art prints, visit my website.

More Bird Paintings

Feathery Display, gouache and watercolor on paper.  10x8

I keep coming back to the bird paintings.  During the April shutdown, the Venice Rookery was still open.  It wasn't crowded, and I enjoyed sketching the nesting birds from life and taking some photos.  I also did a little plein air painting during the sunset.  This painting of a great white egret has a lot of vibrant color, and I showed how the light touches her feathers.  Gouache and watercolors allow me to paint quickly and keep it loose.  The paints dry fast, and I can work in a few layers to enhance the effects of shimmering color and light.  If you like this bird painting, visit my website for more of my bird art.