Tag Archives: Taking Flight

Selected artwork from our 3rd annual Taking Flight juried youth bird art exhibition (Part VII)

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Sean K.

We are extremely excited to display a selection of art from our third annual juried youth bird art exhibition. All artwork will appear in this series of posts. This annual exhibition is open to any children and young adults age 4 to 18 years old. All selected entries will be on display at the Museum of American Bird Art from November 10, 2018 to March 30, 2019. Entries for our fourth annual exhibition will open in January 2019 and close in June 2019.

Come see the artwork on display at the Museum of American Bird Art by appointment or during 3 open houses:

January 26, 2019 from 12 to 2 pm

February 23, 2019 from 12 to 2 pm

March 23, 2019 from 12 to 2 pm

Sparrow Hawk on a Winter’s Day, Anna Rose, Age 17

I took my reference photos for this piece in my backyard while a Cooper’s Hawk was perched atop my bird feeder. I love Cooper’s Hawks because of their gorgeous yellow eyes and extreme agility. Their free spirit and elegant strength easily makes them one of my most favorite birds.

Sandpiper, Maris Van Vlack, Age 16

This is based off of a picture I took at the beach. I really like the patterns of the feathers and the way that the bird camouflages because its feathers are the same color as the sand.

Raven, Claire Grant, Age 15

I always liked drawing animals. Birds were a bit of a challenge but I always liked to draw their anatomy, more specifically, wings. Hence, I drew a raven flying. As to why I chose a raven, I enjoyed the supernatural lore behind them. People usually associate ravens with witchcraft and cunning. They are one of my favorite birds.

Bluejay, Ethan Cross, Age 11

Hummingbird, Ehtan Cross, Age 7

Selected artwork from our 3rd annual Taking Flight juried youth bird art exhibition (Part V)

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Sean K.

Come see the artwork on display at the Museum of American Bird Art by appointment or during 3 open houses:

January 26, 2019 from 12 to 2 pm

February 23, 2019 from 12 to 2 pm

Golden Eagle, Cayla Rosenhagen, Age 13

Through the eyes of a Golden Eagle, the world looks very different. In an age of ever increasing industrialization and reliance on technology, the human eye is often transfixed to a screen. The eagle eye is unencumbered by such trivial notions. They live a simple life, not one without challenges, but one of freedom and soaring to great heights. In their view, mountains reach high into azure skies and crystal-clear streams cascade through forests. Literally and metaphorically, the vision of the Golden Eagle is far more favorable than that of humans. Take the time to look away from those electronic devices. Be among nature. Try to see more of what the eagle eye sees.

Surprised by a Chat, Joel Eckerson, Age 15

One of my favorite moments while birding was in the dead of winter. I was sitting in front of a desolate thicket, when out of nowhere a bright yellow cheery Chat popped up and gave me unforgettable views. A Chat is cool to see in the Summer but in the Winter the colors just pop and it will change your day in the flick of a switch.

Peacock, Amelie Hunt, Age 5

I love all the colors of a peacock. They have some shine so I added a little glitter to add to the design of their pretty feathers.

Eagle Taking Flight, Martin King, Age 7

This is a drawing of a bald eagle. The bald eagle is an American symbol. I like bald eagles because they are beautiful birds. They have dark feathers on their body and white feathers on their head. I have seen pictures of bald eagles in books and on the computer, and I have seen live ones in the zoo. In this drawing, a bald eagle is taking flight.

Taking Flight Opening Reception

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Sean K.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Twenty creative, excited, and amazing young artists gathered at the Museum of American Bird Art to celebrate the opening of our third annual Taking Flight, an international juried youth bird art exhibition.

2018 Taking Flight young artists, November 10, 2018

We had renowned artist, Sherrie York, as our guest artist. She met all the young artists and taught a fantastic printmaking workshop.

Enjoy this short video recap of our opening reception and a look at each artwork from each artist.

Taking Flight Opening Reception

Getting Started With Nature Drawing: Advice for Young Bird Artists from Barry Van Dusen

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Barry V.

As part of our annual Taking Flight youth bird art exhibition, different acclaimed bird artists will offer advice to budding young artists. The goal of the Taking Flight exhibition is to create a greater awareness, conservation, and appreciation for birds while fostering the development of young artists and sharing their work with the public. Submissions accepted March 1–June 15, 2018. Click here for more information.

Our first post is by internationally recognized wildlife artist, Barry Van Dusen, who was recently an artist in residence at the Museum of American Bird Bird and meet with the young bird artists in the 2017 Taking Flight exhibition.

If you’re serious about becoming a good naturalist and a good artist, start keeping a nature journal/ sketchbook to record your observations.

A young artist looking closely and sketching what she notices

Learn to look carefully and NOTICE what you see.

Young artists sketchbook

It’s more important to OBSERVE carefully and RECORD your discoveries than it is to make pretty pictures in your sketchbook. Try to LEARN SOMETHING NEW each time you use your sketchbook

Young artist’s sketchbook in winter

Make WRITTEN NOTES along with your drawings to help you remember what you observe.

When you’re just beginning, practice drawing leaves, twigs, pinecones, seashells, crab shells, dead insects and other natural object you find outdoors. These things do not move, so you can take your time to look at and draw them.

Draw the plants and flowers you find in a garden.

Try to draw the SHAPES you see with simple line drawings. Drawing accurate shapes takes lots of PRACTICE! Artists call these “contour drawings”.

Visit museums to observe and draw the stuffed animals, skeletons, and other specimens.

It may sound gross, but drawing from freshly dead birds (window strikes or birds hit by cars), is also a great way to practice drawing and to learn about animals. (Give the birds a proper burial after you draw them.)

You can practice drawing subjects like birds from photographs, too. Start with sketchy lines to block out the bird.

Notice the proportion of the head to the body, and the different angles made by the bill, tail, wing and legs. The birds in the photographs don’t move, so you can take your time.

There are lots of places where you can get close to live animals and try drawing them:

Bird feeders…

Farms…

Frog Ponds…

Parks and Duck Ponds…

Zoos and Nature Centers…

Fish Hatcheries and Aquariums…

and Butterfly Conservatories…

…to name just a few.

Most important is to HAVE FUN and enjoy learning about Nature!

The goal of the Taking Flight exhibition is to create a greater awareness and appreciation for birds while fostering the development of young artists and sharing their work with the public. Submissions accepted March 1–June 15, 2018. Click here for more information.

Young Artists Take Flight

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Sean K.

On Friday September 23rd, many young artists who had their artwork accepted into our inaugural youth bird art exhibition:Taking Flight, were able to see their art displayed, meet other young artists and David Sibley, and celebrate with friends and family. Here are a few pictures from that wonderful evening.

Here is a gallery with more photos

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If you would like to see photos of each piece of art, check out these links. Each page has selected artwork exhibited in Taking Flight:

https://blogs.massaudubon.org/takingflight/selected-artwork-from-taking-flight-a-juried-youth-bird-art-exhibition/
https://blogs.massaudubon.org/takingflight/selected-artwork-from-taking-flight-our-juried-youth-bird-art-exhibition-part-ii/
https://blogs.massaudubon.org/takingflight/selected-artwork-from-taking-flight-our-juried-youth-bird-art-exhibition-part-iii/
https://blogs.massaudubon.org/takingflight/selected-artwork-from-taking-flight-our-juried-youth-bird-art-exhibition-part-iv/
https://blogs.massaudubon.org/takingflight/selected-artwork-from-taking-flight-our-juried-youth-bird-art-exhibition-part-v/
https://blogs.massaudubon.org/takingflight/selected-artwork-from-taking-flight-our-juried-youth-bird-art-exhibition-part-vi/

Selected artwork from Taking Flight: our juried youth bird art exhibition (Part VI)

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Sean K.

We are extremely excited to display a selection of art from our first annual juried youth bird art exhibition. This annual exhibition is open to any children and young adults age 4 to 18 years old. All selected entries will be on display at the Museum of American Bird Art from September 23 to December 11th. Entries for our second annual exhibition will open in early 2017.

Barn Swallow in Flight, Anna Rose, Age 15

“Every spring, my friends and I visit the infamous Magee Marsh in northwestern Ohio. While we were there, we saw many vibrant and magnificent warblers. Yet, of every single species we saw, I was enraptured by a small flock of Barn Swallows at the edge of a small pond. I watched them for nearly half an hour and quickly sketched their poses. Eventually, my favorite bird became a finished work of art.”

Anna Rose, Age 15, Barn Swallows

Orioles and Oranges, Anna Rose, Age 15

“Ever since I was a baby, my mom has been trying to attract orioles to our family bird feeder. Finally, one afternoon this spring, a single male Baltimore Oriole landed on an orange. A few moments later, six more orioles joined the first. It was an amazing few days as the orioles regularly visited us. My mom and I will always remember the orioles that visited us this spring as one of the highlights of our birding experiences.”

Anna Rose, Age 15

River Hunter, Aaron Melendez, Age 9

“The bird I painted is a Belted Kingfisher. I painted this bird because I like to go birding. It reminds me of family trips to the Indiana Dunes State Park. I also painted the Kingfisher because it is a great example of a nice dark blue.”

Aaron Melendez, Age 9

Selected artwork from Taking Flight: our juried youth bird art exhibition (Part V)

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Sean K.

Sage Lemieux, Toucan, Age 11

Sage Lemieux, Age 11

Bird Pooping, Neva Hobbs, Age 5

Eastern Bluebird, Jamie Davis, Age 13

“The Eastern Bluebird is one of my favorite birds of New England, because I have watched it and fed it and nurtured the nest boxes in our yard and at the Community Gardens in our town. This year Mama and I were invited to be nest box monitors at an old cranberry bog in our town. The Cape Cod Bird Club has 45 nest boxes there, occupied by Eastern Bluebirds, and we take our turn checking on them. I have loved seeing the various stages of growth in the Bluebirds, inspired by Julie Zickfoose’s new book, Baby Birds. I was thrilled a few winters ago to see Eastern Bluebirds in our yard and to watch the males and females at our feeders and bird bath. The males are my favorite color, a kind of Cerulean blue, with the females just slightly duller in color, but not in interest or intelligence. I chose a medium of watercolor for the bluebird because I loved the Cerulean Blue.”

Jamie Davis, Age 13

White-Throated Needletail, Joseph Jewett, Age 8

“The white-throated needletail is a rare and endangered species. It is a favorite of many birdwatchers because it is one of the fastest birds in the world. In 2013, a needletail got struck by the spinning blades of a wind turbine in the United Kingdom while anxious birdwatchers looked on. My drawing includes a needletail, an airplane, and a wind turbine. It symbolizes the negative impact that modern technologies can have on birds but also how birds have inspired new technologies that create community and help to protect the environment. When I grow up, I want to design turbines that can harvest huge amounts of energy from the wind while keeping birds, bats, and even bugs safe.”

Joseph Jewett, Age 8

Gabrielle Ross, Blue Jay Family, Age 7

“I love blue Jays. They are so pretty. I have a family of blue jays in my yard.
Their mom brings the babies food to eat.”

Gabby Ross, Age 7

Selected artwork from Taking Flight: our juried youth bird art exhibition (Part IV)

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Sean K.

Dream Come True, Owen Miyasato, Age 4

“This is a bird flying. I like flying birds and I want to fly.
So this is a picture of a dream come true.”

Owen, Miyasata, Age 4

Great Horned Owl, Bennett Dowers, Age 7

“I started to love birds when I went to Drumlin Farm preschool.
Ever since then I watch for birds in my yard and on hikes.I love great horned owls because they are strong and beautiful, and because they are nocturnal.”

Bennett Dowers, Age 7

Northern Saw-whet Owl, Ethan Johnson, Age 12

“Owls are my favorite type of bird because they are nocturnal and see a whole different world than we do. It is fascinating that their necks are so flexible that they can turn their heads up to 270 degrees. They are mysterious because they are rarely seen by humans. I decided to draw the Northern Saw-whet Owl. It is distinct from other owls by its size and ear splitting call. It is very small and has brown and white feathers that help it blend in well with its surroundings. It mostly lives in thick vegetation. They are found almost anywhere in The United States and parts of Mexico and Canada. For the winter they travel to dense forests in central and southern United States. Their diet consists of small rodents including deer mice, young squirrels, small birds, and large insects. In my drawing I first used pencil to sketch it on paper, Sharpie marker to bold the outline of the owl, and oil pastels to bring out the color of the Northern Saw-whet Owl and the background.”

Ethan Johnson, Age 12

Selected artwork from Taking Flight: our juried youth bird art exhibition (Part III)

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Sean K.

Iris Rosenhagen, Burrowing Owls, Age 11

Burrowing owls are one of my favorite birds because I’ve studied owls a lot and they are very unique. Instead of living in tree cavities, they live in burrows. They are also diurnal as opposed to nocturnal like most other owls. Something very interesting about them, is if they feel threatened in their burrow, a Burrowing Owl will make a rattlesnake buzz sound to scare off predators. Sadly, Burrowing Owls are losing habitat due to construction. I am an avid conservationist and the creator of C.A.R.E., Community for Animal Respect and Education. C.A.R.E. provides opportunities for people to learn about the challenges animals face in today’s world, and inspires people to get involved to help them. I hope to spread awareness about the plight of the Burrowing Owls by submitting my artwork.

Iris Rosenhagen, Burrowing Owl, Age 11

Iris Rosenhagen, B95 Rufa Red Knot

“The Rufa Red Knot is one of my favorite birds because of an inspiring book I read Moonbird by Phillip Hoose. It was about one Red Knot who has lived over 20 years and has amazingly migrated from South America to the Arctic so many times that the distance would be from here to the moon and halfway back. The tag, B95 on his leg allows him to be identified in different places he has flown. I learned a lot of interesting facts about Red Knots. One of the coolest, is that they lose their gizzards when they have a really long flight to make during migration so that they weigh less. When they stop over in Delaware Bay to eat horseshoe crab eggs, they grow it back to digest the food they need for energy to continue their long flight north where they mate.”

Iris Rosenhagen, Red Knot, Age 11

European Starling, Cayla Rosenhagen, Age 11

“I feel many people don’t appreciate the outer and inner beauty of the European Starling. The amazing iridescence of the starling’s plumage combined with its history of being an immigrant coming to the New World with its plucky, perseverant personality make this bird one of my favorites. The European Starling reminds me of my ancestors coming through Ellis Island, having so much to offer, but not always seen for all they were. People flock to the United States from all over the world…pun intended. Just as the murmuration of the European Starling is so remarkable, the same holds true for all who come to our land in search of a new life.”

Cayla Rosenhage, European Starling, Age 11

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Cayla Rosenberg, Age 11

“Pollination and patience. Those are the two qualities that make Ruby Throated Hummingbirds one of my favorite birds. Unfortunately, we have seen such a decline in pollinators such as honeybees and monarch butterflies. We’ve tried to do our part by planting native flowering plants and by encouraging others to do so. But it takes patience to heal the Earth. It also takes patience to spot a Ruby Throated Hummingbird! I’ve been fortunate to see them a handful of times and it brings me such excitement to watch them feeding on the nectar of flowers, my heart seems to beat almost as fast as theirs, over a thousand times in a minute while they feed. Patiently I await the next Ruby Throated Hummingbird who comes to do his part in healing the Earth as he pollinates.”

Cayla Rosenhagen, Age 11, Hummingbird