Common Yellowthroat

This beautiful yellow warbler was introduced to me at the banding table at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, in Knoxville, Tennessee.  You can see one of my sketches of this bird in an earlier post on this blog.

Banding is a scientific study, an effort to record the occurence of birds during a variety of seasons to aid in assessing the health and numbers of a bird population and to learn about bird use of a given habitat. For me, it also represents the opportunity to study a bird species for future art projects.  The common yellowthroat is a busy warbler species that favors shrubby grassland.  

I have enjoyed getting acquainted with this bird's beauty and spunky personality upclose while helping to record data during banding sessions.  The painting you see above was used as a commemorative print to celebrate the refuge's change to Tennessee's first state birding park!  It was a thrill to bring my refuge observations into this painting for the event!

The common yellowthroat spends much of its time foraging for small insects in the dense vegetation of fields. It's beautiful song, "witchety, witchety, witchety", will always bring to mind summer sunrise on the refuge! Listen to the common yellowthroat song at Cornell's site.

To see the progression of this painting visit:  Common Yellowthroat Painting
To see how I used my sketchbook to help make decisions for the painting visit:  Using your sketchbook to jump-start your painting, and to see more about the celebration event visit:  Seven Islands Becomes First State Birding Park.

Male Common Yellowthroat by Linda C. Miller

Male Common Yellowthroat

Watercolor on HP Paper

Image Size 12 inches high by 10 inches wide

Specimen photographed at Bodie Island Lighthouse

Copyright Linda C. Miller, 2011

Here is a painting of my favorite warbler taken at the Bodie Island Lighthouse last November. We were walking on the boardwalk when my husband spotted this little fellow. With my 300mm Nikon lense in hand, I took over 40 pictures while he bathed and fluttered among the reeds. I had done several studies that I  posted earlier and here is my first painting with others to follow! 

Also, I am studying with James Warwick Jones who is helping me so much with composition.  When we looked over this piece, he said that it reminded him of a painting by Durer called "A clump of grass", a painting that I have long admired as a naturalist and a botanical artist.  When we looked at the various matting/cropping options there was one that I had not considered and works so well for this piece.  This work will be matted leaving all of the "white space" (a bit more than this image shows).  

 
 
 
Thank you for stopping by, Linda
Linda C. Miller
Artist, Naturalist, Instructor
Williamsburg, Virginia
 
http:lindacmiller.blogspot.com

Immature Male Common Yellowthroat Studies - Linda C. Miller

copyright LC Miller, 2010




 Here are two drawings made from photos taken at the Bodie Lighthouse observation post.  This wonderful little guy stopped by to take a bath and with my camera in hand, we spent a good three minutes together.




copyright LC Miller, 2010

 

 I started using my new lead holders in 2H and HB for these drawings.  I then learned how to use the lead sharpener. Oh my, I don't think I can ever use an ordinary pencil or even a mechanical pencil again.  The lead point is so fine and allows one to draw such delicate lines!

Here is a link to The Pencil Lead Holder Museum! It showcases many different types and brands.  I use a Staedtler Mars technico lead holder that I purchased from Dick Blick as well as the Staedtler 502 lead sharpener.  The sharpener has two different points to choose from.  Also the NY Botanical Garden drawing course offers lead recommendations that are helpful too.

 http://www.leadholder.com/

Thank you for stopping by, Linda

Linda C. Miller
Artist, naturalist and instructor
Williamsburg, Virginia
www.lindacmiller.blogspot.com