Taft-Nicholson Environmental Humanities Center Art Residency

Flitting amongst the swallows along the base of the Centennial Mountains is the Mountain Bluebird.

The conspicuous cerulean and cobalt blues are unmistakable in the field, and that’s what I wanted to capture in a painting. The pose and “stare” were an equally intriguing challenge.

Generally a slim bird, this one was somewhat fluffed out as it perched on a post. Quick as a flash, it was gone, zooming off to a spruce then dropping below the sagebrushes, forever hidden from my view.

At 15x22”, it is the largest bird painting I have done so far, and was a challenge working out the form to scale up at this size.

Playing with pigments to match the colors of this bird required a slow pace and great thought. Applying those colors in a loose yet fairly representational manner is always my goal.

That post, though.

Boy, what fun!!

Mountain Bluebird
Watercolor
15x22” (unframed)