I started two new little bird paintings today. One will be a seagull and one a Blue Jay. They are in the first stages and with luck, I will finish at least one of them soon and post.

I’m thinking of taking one or two of my favorite bird paintings that have sold and re-use the reference photos with some changes and making them really big. Just for fun.  On the other hand, the temperatures are dropping here and soon we will be back to feeding the birds daily. We keep a couple of feeders going in the front yard through the summer just to keep everyone happy and nearby, but the big show with the feeders in the back will start soon. I think it has been really interesting that even the woodpeckers have increased this summer (there are quite a few of them chattering and hammering away in the woods around the house this summer). I haven’t captured a photo of the Pileated Woodpecker yet, but I’ve seen him.

I’ve also decided to push my self imposed painting size limits a bit in the coming months and year.  I’ve had a notion to do some larger square bird and animal paintings in the same vein as the little ones and maybe some larger landscapes. But I’ve not been thrilled with the pre-stretched canvases I have purchased in the past and the cost of framing larger panels is a bit prohibitive sometimes. So, I decided to purchase stretcher bars and some good canvas and see if I could pull off stretching my own.

I do have some larger panels on hand and will use them and frame them, but I’ll also start using some of my own canvases with finished edges. That way, if I’m really broke, I can still show the work without a frame (even though I really believe all art deserves a good frame). It will also give patrons the option to either hang as is or purchase a frame that makes them happy without being stuck with a frame that doesn’t.