Warm in the sun, not quite the hot of summer but still nicer to be under the shade of the now mostly leafed trees.

I heard her before I saw her, a beautiful pileated woodpecker. A flash of red among the young green ground cover. A surprise on the ground like that. I stood a while watching as she bobbed her head up and down.

I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment instead of trying to catch that perfect shot. Patience is still something I have to work on. Predictably as I tried to switch to a telephoto lens, she flew off and called out with a mocking cry somewhere up in the trees, out of sight.

It only seemed fit, I paint her into the picture. It is her wood more than mine.

PS. I really can’t tell the difference whether it was a male or female, but I liked to think it was a female foraging for ants, beetle larvae and termites for her young.

For a better look, check out my Featured Pieces page.

#spring, #woods, #pileatedwoodpecker, #acrylicpainting, #landscapepainting, ottawaart, #ottawaartists, #613art

From as early as the fourteenth century BCE, purple was only for the rich and powerful. (Read all about it and more in “The World According to Color” by Dr. James Fox – excellent book! Recommend it.)

Nowadays we take it for granted, as we often do for many other colours. Like many painters, its easy to invest in the local art supplies store and buy a tube of the stuff or its component colours and then of course struggle to make it seem as brilliant and alluring as Mother Nature’s display.

Tried to do it justice on these gorgeous irises in our back garden. 

For a look at how I did, please go to the Featured Pieces page.

#spring, #floral, #iris, #purple, #acrylicpainting, #painting, #ottawaart, #ottawaartists, #613art