We are really excited for this post. I’ve recently created a map of all of the Wildlife Sanctuaries that Barry has visited. When you click on each indigo bunting icon, the name of the sanctuary, date of his visit, and link to the blog post will appear. Click on the link for each post to follow Barry as he sketches and paints at different Mass Audubon Sanctuaries in the state. ENJOY!!!!
This is from a series of posts by MABA resident artist Barry Van Dusen
Nashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Westford May 29, 2015
The first thing I hear after getting out of my car at the Nashoba Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Westford is the plaintive call of the eastern wood-pewee. These birds are more often seen that heard, but I track this one down and start sketching. It’s a humid, overcast morning, and the mosquitoes are a challenge!
sketchbook page, 9″ x 12″
The differences between some species of birds are so subtle that the little things can make a big difference. Things like tail length, head size and wing-tip length – in other words proportions.
Eastern Wood-pewee, watercolor on Strathmore Gemini cold-press, 11″ x 8″
Although there are a few “field marks” here to help identify this bird as an eastern wood-pewee (note the orange lower mandible, long wing tips and upright posture), a lot of the story is told with subtle adjustments of proportion and shape. Compare my pewee with a study done earlier this spring of an olive-sided flycatcher (observed at Quabbin Park on May 13).
Olive-sided Flycatcher, watercolor in Stillman and Birn beta sketchbook, 9″ x 8″
Both birds belong to the same genus (Contopus), but the differences in proportions are striking. The olive-sided has an oversized head and bill, very long wingtips and a dinky, undersized tail!
Technical note: The wood-pewee watercolor you see here is what I call a “re-painting”. I started a watercolor of the bird on location, but I made some poor compositional decisions and then tried to correct them, which led to a confused and overworked mess! However, even a “failed” field painting contains a great deal of information that can be re-used later in the studio. Back home I re-painted the scene, refining the drawing and correcting the compositional errors I made in the field. This “second time around”, I painted with confidence and purpose, and avoided all the mistakes from my first attempt!