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