Rock, Red, Buff

Backyard Poultry

Growing Up

The Rocks and Reds are getting bigger too! On the Barred Rock, the white pencil stripes are finally starting to show. Check out the last Barred Rock photo right here - you will be surprised! As they continue to grow up, the Rocks will replace more of their black colorings with white. The Barred Rocks this year were Snowflake, Twilight, and Velvet, but again, I still cannot tell you which is which until their combs get bigger. The Golden Buffs, on the other hand, are going the opposite direction. They started out a mixture of whites and light beiges, and are getting darker as they mature. Because they are a cross between the Rhode Island Red and the White Rock (same as the Barred Rock but all white), Golden Buffs can have a whole range of white and brown mixtures. The color combinations can even change after each yearly molt! And speaking of Rhode Island Reds, check out the little one standing beside the Golden Buff in the photo below. The Reds were still nearly half the size of the rest of the flock, but working hard to hold their own! They too are getting darker as they age, turning from light chestnut to a rich copper.

RI Red & Golden Buff

Buff Orpington

Backyard Poultry

Buff Orpington

Next is the gorgeous Buff Orpington. Don't you just want to stick your fingers into those plush, velvety feathers? Well, you would if you had ever felt newly-grown chickie feathers. Already, this chick is developing the thick, soft feathering characteristic of the Orpington breed. I had four Buff Orpingtons at this point, one of which I knew was a rooster. However, the other three still looked nearly identical, and so I have no idea which one is pictured above. They were eventually named Buttercup, Sunflower, and Daisy. In fact, the main way to tell young chickens apart is by their combs, which grow out in unique patterns and heights. However, since that does not start until about twelve weeks of age, chicks can go nameless for quite some time.

Auracanas

Backyard Poultry

Pinecone

Well, it's about time to check on those chicks again! As we concluded in my last chicks post - right here - they are definitely outgrowing the little cardboard box on our back porch. It will soon be time to move them out into the coop. But first, let me review for you the different personalities of the flock (since, alas, it has been a lamentably long time since my last chick posts). The Araucanas, as usual, come first. Above is Pinecone, about six weeks old by now, with a watchful eye on the camera. Its gold and black feathers are more beautiful than ever. The second Araucana, Walnut (not pictured), is still nearly identical to Pinecone. The chick below, named Birchie, is also an Araucana even though the coloring couldn't be more different. Its white and tan mottling - hence the name Birch - is just as beautiful as the dark Araucanas. Although you can't tell from the photos, Birchie was noticeably smaller than the other Araucanas. I am not sure why, but I do know that these "Easter egg layers" are more often than not a bit unpredictable.

"Birchie"

Pink Orchid

Artist's Gallery

Pencil Pinks

Last of all we have another pencil drawing of a flower. This beautiful pink orchid was also a get-well card. The background, of course, is the natural paper white, accented by a brilliant yellow chain I drew around the card's perimeter. The flower itself is created by the interaction of different shades of pink and red, just as in the original photo below. I used only four or five different pencil shades to achieve my colors, but produced an amazing range from shocking pink to deep magenta. I carefully left the edges of the petals with a tiny rim of white to give definition. The yellow accent in the center gives a nice highlight, blending into orange and finally into the pink of the flower. Believe it or not, the original photo is also mine, taken at Franklin Park Conservatory's annual orchid display. The verse, which continued onto the inside, seemed to fit perfectly with the flower:

For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

                                                             Psalm 91:11-12

Wild Iris

Artist's Gallery

Yellow Jewel

This little yellow iris was a treasure find at John Bryan State Park. When my dad and I hiked the trails along the Little Miami River several years ago, there were not many flowers blooming. This wild iris stood all alone in a field of green. Stooping down to get a picture, I almost fell into a bed of poison ivy. But it was worth it. I copied the photo for this card to send to a friend who was ill. The leaves range in color from sea green to black, giving a strong illusion of depth. They appear scribbled at close inspection, oddly producing the effect of a wild sea of green surrounding the little jewel. The vibrant yellows stand in sharp contrast to the striking maroon markings on the iris. I have never seen one again quite like it.

Spring Bouquets

Artist's Gallery

Daffodils of the Rainbow

These colorful bouquets were done in colored pencil. I painstakingly layered each different area of color with a dark shade for the shadows, a medium shade for the actual color, and a light shade for the highlights. Then I would move on to the next color area and repeat the process. Once again, all the flowers came from a bulb catalog - where else can you find so many types of daffodils? My favorite was the white daffodil with a pink center, although I also like how the white one on the left with the multicolored center came out. The blue bow was fun to draw and sets them off nicely. But I most enjoyed coloring the bows on the envelope and then lifting the flap to split them in half!

As for the flowers below, they are either peonies or oversized begonias, I am not sure. The colors certainly came out vividly - just look at that shockingly pink ribbon. The delicate clumps of daisies set everything off nicely. I think this one looks a little more real than the top one. Both drawings, which are 5x7 cards by the way, made lovely gifts to send to my pen friends in Germany and Austria.

Pink Bouquet

Sunflower Revisited

Artist's Gallery

Barns and Sunflower

Speaking of sunflowers, here is yet another rendering of that cheerful sunflower picture. This one could almost pass for watercolor, as the acrylic has such a translucent quality. I do think I overdid the color intensities a little bit, but it was a hurried painting. I like how the leaves almost seem to vibrate, the colors are so intense. But compare it to my original sunflower painting here and you will see the differences. My sister and I actually grew this sunflower in our yard a couple years ago - it got over four feet tall I think. I took the photo with the barns in the background, and I don't even know how many times I have painted it since. You can click here to see three of them, each in a different medium. I guess this is a hard picture to get tired of.

Sunflowers

Artist's Gallery

Sunflower Bouquet

Here is another pencil drawing with a different subject. These cheerful sunflowers seem to be smiling out of the picture. I drew them on a sympathy card for a family friend more than five years ago now. I believe all the sunflowers came out of a seed catalog. I took the little pictures of the different varieties of sunflowers in the seed listings, and pieced them together to make a bouquet. I like the assortment of reds, oranges, and yellows I came up with - some with black centers, some with brown. Look more closely and you might also notice the many shades of green in the background leaves. This technique increases the impression of variety in the yellows even more. I remember I was not very happy with this drawing when I finished it, but looking at it now I do think it came out nicely.

Bluebird House

Artist's Gallery

Pencil Bluebird

This little bluebird is done in pencil rather than acrylic. The process is very different, to say the least. Rather than building up layers, each part of the picture is filled in separately. For the background, I colored a number of different greens and then blended them together with white pencil overtop. The birdhouse was done in a similar manner, except I tried to create a wood grain effect with straight, parallel lines. If you look closely you might be surprised at some of the colors in the roof - I don't know where I got the notion of using red and blue! The bluebird was fun to draw with its beautiful shades of blue, blending into the orange and white breast. My favorite part, though, is the little opening heart on the birdhouse. I think this would be a lovely place for a bird to live.

Happy Easter!

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Easter Celebration

I want to wish all my readers a wonderful Easter! This jelly roll cake was just one of the highlights of my family's Easter dinner this year. I was actually surprised at how well it came out. Of course it was baked as a flat cake, very light with beaten egg whites and all. I carefully rolled it up between parchment paper as soon as it came out of the oven, and let it cool. After peeling off the paper, I spread the inside with strawberry jelly and whipped cream and rolled it back up. Although we did get a little lenient and deviate from an all-gluten-free flour mixture, the results were worth it. The cake was delicious!

And here is a verse to remind us of the wonderful promise of Easter:

But now Christ is risen from the dead,

and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

For since by man came death,

by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

I Corinthians 15:20-21

Meadowlarks

Artist's Gallery

Blue Meadowlark

Let's continue our celebration of spring with a few more songbirds. Did you notice something interesting about these two birds? Maybe they are identical? Actually, they are! I found the picture of this meadowlark in a magazine and liked it so much, I painted it twice. I think the painting on the card above came first; I love the watercolor look of the bird's breast and the background. The shading on everything came out so nicely, though the highlights maybe not so much. I also really like the look on the back of the card (it's the left-hand portion of the photo above), with its blended, watery look. The blue adds a nice contrast to the yellows of the bird.

 

The card below, on the other hand, matches the magazine picture more closely. The marbled green background was a challenge to create, but also fun. I started with different shades of piney green, and added some very yellow and blue greens to give contrast. The bird and fence are not painted in as much detail, but seem brighter and more full of motion. The grasses in front add to the liveliness. I think you could about hear this bird warble from looking at the painting!

Green Meadowlark

 

Spring Birds

Artist's Gallery

Birds & Daffodils

And now it's time to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of spring! I think the birds above are doing just that. I painted this little picture as a 5x7 greeting card, using acrylic paint. I was so proud of it that I kept it a long time before sending it to my German pen friend. I copied all the different varieties of daffodils from a bulb catalog, while the birds themselves were found in a bird field guide. I believe they are indigo buntings, with possibly some color enhancement here and there. I made the mistake of painting the brick wall after I had painted the daffodils. It made for a pain-staking operation as well as blotchy look in the end! But I actually sort of like the effect (now that the painting part is over). I have always enjoyed painting birds, especially blue ones.