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These are three blue mackerel, sometimes called Pacific mackerel, though I’m told that’s not a correct name. I stumbled upon a photo of some of these beautiful fish with their vibrant turquoise stripes and wanted to paint one. After finding some other reference photos and other fish themed art, I was able to put together…
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The cedar waxwing is a winter bird in the Raleigh area. I personally have encountered them only once in this area, near Umstead Park. When I was in Connecticut, where they are present year-round, I used to see them all the time around a reservoir near my house. Like me, cedar waxwings have a sweet…
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The rose-breasted grosbeak is a visually striking bird. I’ve seen –and photographed– them at a feeder in Wendell, NC, but they’re not all that common around here. You are more likely to see them in western NC, but the Raleigh area is in the path birds’ migratory activity. If you are in the right place…
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I especially like it when I can make a watercolor using a reference photo I took myself. This is one of those paintings. I don’t take many great bird photos, but when I look for a reference photo, I do always try using one of my own. This past March when I wanted to paint…
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This is a tufted titmouse I painted in early 2023. The tufted titmouse is a very common bird at feeders around here. Unlike many of the birds, who sit and feed for a while, the titmice usually fly in, grab a seed, and fly out quickly. They have a very dignified look in their grey…
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Carolina chickadees are very common around here. They are cute little birds that are fun to watch and easily attracted to feeders. I painted this one in late 2022 and it is a favorite of mine. I have taken many decent photos of chickadees at my feeders, but the reference photo for this one I…
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I used to see this big woodpecker all the time in the woods behind my dad’s house, in Wendell, NC. These are the largest woodpeckers you’re likely to see in North America, because the only one larger (the ivory-billed woodpecker) is, sadly, most likely extinct. Fortunately, these beauties are very common all over the eastern…
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In March I finished this commissioned portrait of two Golden Retrievers. Working from a photograph supplied by the dogs’ owner, who had commissioned the painting, I created this watercolor on 5.5×8″ Strathmore paper. The dogs’ owner was very happy with the results. Prints and notecards with this image are available, and I can paint your…
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Earlier this year, I had decided my next little watercolor painting should be a duck, so I searched online for a good picture of the iconic mallard. I settled on this wonderfully posed female mallard. I do want to also paint a vibrant, colorful male, but the more subdued female struck me as more interesting…
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North American birds are in decline. A 2019 Cornell study found that there are around 3 billion fewer breeding songbirds in the eastern US than there were fifty years ago. Read this recent article from NPR to learn eight simple ways you can help birds where you live. https://www.npr.org/2022/04/13/1092678564/north-american-birds-are-in-decline-here-are-8-simple-ways-you-can-help
Craig Laurer 