Doctor, doctor, gimme the news

The national bird of Jamaica, the Doctor Bird -- aka the swallow-tail hummingbird. The males have two, long-flowing tails.
First, the charcoal sketch -

Next, washes of color, the hot mess --

Then more layers of paint -

 I'm actually pretty pleased with it at the stage but you can still see traces of my charcoal grid through the glazes. This paint thinner I have to use down here is not as good as turpentine at creating a nice consistency of paint. It's crapola.

So, I still layer on more paint. Loving the color combinations -- 

ok, so more paint......

And done! My new favorite -- 

And here is where he will be hanging, Doctor Bird cottage at Whistling Bird in Negril ,Jamaica.

Jacana

Here's the next progression of in my series of bird paintings -- the Jacana, a tropical wading bird, with enormous clawed feet.

First step, charcoal sketch -

Next, the hot mess stage, color washes every where:

I was using some photo references that showed the bird in a tangle of leaves, but since it's a water bird, I decided to add some ocean -- 

More paint - 

And a little bit of reedy water business along the bottom -- 

The jacana has a very odd yellow cap on its forehead, almost looks like a duck bill just pasted there:

Finishing up, some glazes across the sky -- 

Sorting out the reedy water business - 

And done!

 And this is where Jacana will ultimately live - Jacana Cottage at  Whistling Bird, Negril.

Cacophony of Color

Before - 

Halfway there - 

And the final cacophony  - 

Seagrapes No. 18  

And a close up:

Fronds and more fronds

Fronds on the beach, before:

and after - 

Negril No. 48  $85

4"x6" ink and watercolor on paper

And a close up -

The View from Here

When I stand in the sea, this is my view -- beautifully lush and green:

Sea Side No. 1  SOLD

4"x4"x1.5" oil on hand-cut cedar wood block

Ready to hang:

Interregnum Redux

Before - 

and after --

Seagrape No. 14  $85
4"x6", ink and watercolor on paper

and a close up - 

an

Morning Beach

The beach. On the beach.

Beach No. 7  
4"x6" watercolor on paper

Co-co coconuts

Before -

and after - 

Coconuts No. 7 



and a close-up - 

Bird Interregnum

There are those among you who think I should not waste my time with flowers and fronds (you know who you are) but I shall persist ......

Before:

and after:

Croton No. 23  $85
4"x6" ink and watercolor on paper

In between the birds

Before.....

and after:

Negril No. 47  $85
4"x6", ink and watercolor on paper

Palm Tree Upon Cedar

Palm Tree No. 5   $40

Original oil painting on hand-cut cedar block, 4"x4"1.5"

Ready to hang:

Blockhead

I knew that painting by birds every day would get a bit tiresome, so I brought along some other options, just to break things up a little. Specifically, I have about a dozen 4"x4"x1.5" hand-cut, cedar blocks. I bought them here. I prepped them with a few layers of gesso, sanding in between each layer.

They have a nice keyhole cut in the back so they are ready to hang.

I set up my paints and palette. I have all of my paint tubes numbered, using a sharpie, both on the cap and several places all over each tube. I then number the spot on the palette where I lay out the paints. I find it hard to tell which paint is which after they leave the tube: the names of the colors can be quite long and can get obscured on the tube after lots of use. When I want to replace a color, it makes it easier to know which is which by just referring to the number. Those blues and those dark reds can look very similar when it's just a thick slab of paint on the palette.

So I decided on a simple beach landscape.  Lots of intense color to start. The usual "hot mess" stage:

Then I wiped it down a little, leaving a smudgy stain of colors as a base:

More layers of color, adding a little white surf:

At first I was going to leave it like that, but then I thought it was just a little too saturated. So I added a glaze of white over the whole thing. Made it more misty, more ethereal, less garish:

Alright, then done!

Negril Beach No. 6  $40


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