Brown Creeper

It's been a while since I have done a Pen & Ink so this little guy took shape this afternoon.  Brown Creepers can be found year around but they often are overlooked any time of year because of their inconspicuous presence.  Their call is very high pitched and quiet, at times beyond the range of some humans.  They quietly go about the business of extracting insects from the cracks of the bark of trees, hitching themselves up and down the trunk in a spiraling manner, usually not disturbed by human presence.  They are never seen on the ground and their flight is fairly short as they move from tree to tree.  They usually build their nest behind a large piece of loose hanging bark about fifteen to twenty feet off the ground. 

4" x 6"  Pen & Ink on Arches Watercolor paper.            $50.00

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birdartist@mindspring.com

Northern Pygmy Owl, framed.

I have now framed The Northern Pygmy Owl.  This is an 8" x 8" mixed media painting framed in an 11" x 14" frame with art on the mat.  It has been a while since I have done art on the mat and I am working on a series of Art on the Mat paintings so continue to check my blog.  This complete package is available for $195.  Difficult to photograph works under glass without reflection. You can see the unframed art in a previous post dated March 21, 2012.   Thanks for checking out my art.  Subscribe and receive updates.

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birdartist@mindspring.com

Lewis's Woodpecker

With the completion of the Lewis's Woodpecker portrait, I have done all the species that are found in my home county of Deschutes in Oregon. This is the Lewis's Woodpecker, one of the larger woodpeckers.  These birds differ from most woodpeckers in that a majority of their food comes from flying insects so they are seen "flychatching" during the months of May through about October when they are present in Oregon.  Lewis's woodpecker was named by famed explorer Meriweather Lewis on that great exploration expedition back in 1803 and 1804.  In recent years in central Oregon, they have been somewhat in decline until a very successful nest box campaign was started by the East Cascade Bird Conservancy back in about 2006.  They were declining because their nest choice of dead pine snags were vigorously cleared to help deter forest fires.  The nest box project has worked very well and in any give year at least 85% have been occupied.

Mixed Media         4" x 4"      $75.00

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birdartist@mindspring.com

Watercolor Canvas Board

I decided to experiment with a new surface today, Fredrix Watercolor Canvas Board.  I have done a couple watercolors on high plate illustration board over the years so thought this would be similar.  It is is some ways but there is a strange "absorption" quality to this canvas that is somewhat hard to control  The advantage of these smooth surfaces is that the paint sits on top and you can move it around freely but I found it strangely hard to get the paint to "settle" down once I reconstituted it.  One try is certainly not the final word but I am not happy with some aspects of this painting so I may try to go over it with Acrylic and see if I can produce an image I am more pleased with.  Stay tuned.

Anna's Hummingbird

Back in about 2004, a first year Anna's Hummingbird started showing up at a feeder in Central Ohio.  I did a painting of it for a certificate that was given by the Ohio Ornithological Society to the person who allowed hordes of birders on their property to view this lovely bird.  The original is for sale and is presented here for your viewing pleasure.

Original mixed media painting, 9" x 12"      $175.00

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birdartist@mindspring.com

My Woodpeckers on Postage stamps

Zazzle.com is a web store that sells custom made items by artists.  They sell mugs, T shirts, US postage stamps and much much more.  Check out my current products at Zazzle.  http://www.zazzle.com/my/products/public?sr=250368246542082387

My Woodpecker images can be purchased on us postage, check them out.

Lady Slipper Orchid

My most recent painting is of a Lady Slipper. The Lady Slipper is an Orchid found in most of North America as well as parts of Europe and Asia. Growing up in Minnesota, I knew it as the state flower. I think this might be why it has been one of my favorite wild flowers. 

5" x 5"  Mixed media,  SOLD

White-headed Woodpecker

Except for a small pocket in the mountains of southern California, this is a Northwest specialty woodpecker.  This is why he is the star of our central Oregon woodpecker festival.  The Dean Hale Woodpecker Festival is held every June and is put on by the Central Oregon Audubon Society. 

White Headed woodpeckers are quite stunning and unique in behavior and appearance.  They are fairly common in their mountain range and in my county, they are common nesters above 4,000 feet.  They are about the size of a Hairy Woodpecker with glossy black back and very distinctive white patch near the wingtips that display nicely in flight.  The males have a red patch toward the back of the head.

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75

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birdartist@mindspring.com

Northern Pygmy Owl

I moved to Central Oregon in 2006 and have been birding extensively since I arrived but it took me till the spring of last year to finally locate this wonderful bird.  It became my nemesis.  It was with the help of a wonderful local birder, Dean Hale, that I was finally able to tick this bird.  Dean was tragically killed in a head on collision this past weekend.  I chose to finished this painting, that I started last year, as a tribute to a much loved human being.

Original mixed media painting, 8" x 8"   $150

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birdartist@mindspring.com

American Three-toed Woodpecker

Continuing the Woodpecker series, the Three-toed Woodpecker is fairly similar to the Black-backed in the previous post but from behind can be confused with the Hairy which is similar in size and has a similar white pattern in the middle of the back.  Black-back and Three-toed  inhabit mostly the same habitat and ranges but Three-toed is slightly more widespread.  The Three-toed is  more petite over all and has a shorter bill.  As mentioned there is also some white streaking down the center of the back and facial patterns are different.  I have noticed in the field that the Black-back is more gregarious and has much louder drumming.  Often it is difficult to hear the Three-toed working a tree, they just quietly tap away.

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75 

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birdartist@mindspring.com

Black-backed Woodpecker

Next in my woodpecker series is the Black-backed Woodpecker. Uncommon and localized inhabitant of northern Boreal and montane coniferous forests, comprising spruce, tamarack, red fir, hemlock, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine. In Oregon, they are mostly found in the cascade range and the blue mountains and the Wallowas. The are very fond of burned over and beetle infested forests so the best place to find them are in burns that are up to five or six years old. 

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75 

For check payment or other payment arrangements email

birdartist@mindspring.com

 

Art of Donald Sutherland on display...

It is always fun to see a body of my work on display and I welcome opportunities to hang my paintings in public. I was asked to join several other artists in a show that is now hanging on the second floor of St Charles Medical Center.  They are hanging at the end of the back hall from the cafeteria which is immediately to the left as you get off the elevator. The show will be hanging till the  middle of April.   To my Bend friends, please feel free to go out of your way to see them hanging because I would not want you to be at St Charles for any other reason :=) (unless of course you work there)

Northern Flicker

The Flicker is a fairly ubiquitous woodpecker throughout North America.  They are yard birds throughout their range and can be found deep in the wild as well.  They have distinctive plumage differences between east and west, in the east the the shafts of their feathers are yellow and in the west the shafts are red. Ornithologists have pondered these differences over the years which lead at one point to splitting them into two separate species. Now, with DNA, the evidence suggests they are the same species so they are now called the Northern Flicker. Unlike most woodpeckers, you will see them sitting straight up on a branch as well as feeding on the ground.

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75

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birdartist@mindspring.com

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Continuing the Woodpecker series with another Sapsucker, the Red-breasted Sapsucker. Their range is more coastal than the Red-napped, and the eastern Cascades is the farthest east of it's normal range in Oregon. As I mentioned, Red-breasted and Red-napped will inter bread where their ranges overlap making ID challenging in Deschutes County. Like all Sapsuckers, they drill and maintain sap wells on various conifer and deciduous trees but tend to prefer conifers. Very striking bird, indeed.

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75

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birdartist@mindspring.com

Red-napped Sapsucker

The Red-napped Sapsucker is found throughout most of the Western States interior. In Oregon, the Cascade range is basically the farthest west they go, being replaced by the Red-breasted Sapsucker further west and to the coast. Where they overlap they occasionally interbreed so it can be a challenge to ID them in our county. They drill, maintain, and defend sap-wells throughout their territory and will supplement with insects in the summertime. 

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75

For check payment or other payment arrangements email

birdartist@mindspring.com

Hairy Woodpecker

Probably the most wide ranging year around resident Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker is seen in fields, forests and at feeders throughout most of North America. Very similar to the slightly smaller Downy Woodpecker, they can be found foraging the same tree and are often seen together but Hairys prefer more woodland environment so are less likely to be found in newer subdivisions where mature trees are lacking. 

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75 

For check payment or other payment arrangements email

birdartist@mindspring.com

Williamson's Sapsucker, female

The next portrait in the woodpecker series is the Williamson's Sapsucker. I decided to portray the female because this is the only North American woodpecker that has total dimorphism between male and female.


It breeds in middle to higher elevation conifer forests and moves down a bit during winter. Uncommon and localized throughout the Western mountains. The male is is very striking , shiny and uniformly black above, it has a head creased by two white stripes and a bold white wing patch. The prominent white rump is visible only in flight. Underparts are black on the chest, yellow on the belly. If you see the male you will be impressed. The female however has a more subtle beauty and since there is such a difference, I chose to depict the female.

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75

For check payment or other payment arrangements email

birdartist@mindspring.com

Downy Woodpecker

This next portrait is the smallest North American woodpecker. They are permanent residents in most of North America except for the north tundra and the Southwest Desert. They are found in a wide variety of habitat from forests to back yards but they prefer deciduous trees. They are a common visitor to back yard suet feeders.

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $75

For check payment or other payment arrangements email

birdartist@mindspring.com

Pileated Woodpecker

I am starting a new series of small head portraits of Woodpeckers. I am starting with the 11 species that live in my county of Deschutes in central Oregon. I may extend it to include all of the 22 North American species at some point.

The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America and ranges over the eastern half of the United States, most of central and southern Canada, and parts of Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Northern California. In Oregon it is confined to the mountains of northeastern Oregon and the Cascade range and west to the coast. They are not common in Oregon but can be seen fairly often if you are diligent. They usually have large territories so that makes them a bit challenging to track down. They prefer old growth conifers, cypress swamps, bottom lands and mature hardwood forests. They don't drill holes as such but rather excavates cavities pounding into the trunks of dead and decaying trees, and live ones, creating rectangular or oblong shaped cavities in search of insects. Often seen working dead or fallen trees on or near the ground. They have a fairly loud and raucous call similar to the Northern Flicker so they are hard to miss if they are vocalizing. They tend to be rather secretive nesters so it is sometimes hard to find their nest.

Here in Deschutes County you can find them in the forests west of Sisters as well as the forest trails along the Century Drive. Magnificent woodpecker to behold.

Image Size is 4" x 4"  mixed media on arches watercolor paper.  $95

For check payment or other payment arrangements email

birdartist@mindspring.com

Sunbury Shores Art and Nature Center Fund Raiser

For the second year, Sunbury Shores Art and Nature Centre, in St Andrews, NB, CA held a secret raffle as a fund raiser event for the Center. Artists and Celebrities are asked to donate a piece of art measuring six inches by eight inches. They hold the event on the first Saturday of October and provide music and refreshments for the folks as they browse the paintings prior to the raffle. You pay ten dollars to get in and this gives you one ticket in the drawing. Additional tickets can be purchased. No art is signed so it is a mystery as to who did what. As your number is drawn, you may chose a painting from the remaining ones on the display. If you chose a painting, an additional $90 is required to obtain it. Famous Canadian artists such as Robert Bateman and other public figures such as humorist, Dave Barry, donated pieces that are worth considerably more than $100 due to their notoriety as artists or public figures. You just have to guess who did what and take a chance.  Lots of fun. 

The above piece was my contribution for this year.

Here are the rest of the paintings:

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