Get Inspired!

When I'm stuck, tired or burned out, I tend to go to my sketchbooks and do small studies. It keeps me creating art in a non-pressure mindset.

They start out as doodles or light studies of a favorite subject. From there, they usually grow into detailed little paintings, drawings. Possibilities for future artworks in one of my mediums (glass painting, glass mosaics, colored pencil, acrylic).

Tiny Verdin on Cactus - SueBetanzos.com

I love songbirds, hummingbirds, birds. They are so full of life, lively. Actually, I love animals :) but find myself drawn to bird subjects these past few years.

Working in a series, exploring a theme, subject, style, medium is how art develops for me. My Gemini personality really shows in my ability to multi task in several mediums, enjoying the process of each one.
Example - diving into glass mosaics for a project, then acrylics for preliminary studies is effortless for me and many artists I know.

The only medium that require a day of mindset prep is going from painting traditionally to painting in reverse on the glass. It takes a day or so of practice for a few hours to rethink how I paint, front to back, backwards on the glass!

Birdy Journeys - Nature Haiku's

Documenting my experiences in nature with little picture poems - visual nature haiku's.

A few of the birdys I've seen below: house finch, northern beardless Tyranulet, yellow warbler, Wilson's warbler, western tanager, Lucy's warbler, vermillion flycatcher, black throated sparrow, elf owl, verdin.

Watercolor, ink letters  ©Sue Betanzos

Today, Ash throated flycatcher at Isabella Lee Nature Preseve with the guidance of Kendall Kroisen from Audubon.

10 Free Artist Reference Photo Sites

Getting great photo reference is an essential part of a representational artist's research. If you are like me and don't have a high end camera with good telephoto lens, you rely on another's talent in this area if you want wildlife close ups.

Once a composition is designed, I often combine several photos in Photoshop. This Quail Whimsey is about five different photo references combined:

Quail Whimsey   Colored Pencil Painting   9x 12"   ©Sue Betanzos

available here 

While I like taking my own photos for small things, here are my top sites and some are free, for great photos:

• Paint My Photo  - Free site.  The photos are donated on a wide variety of subjects. Just make sure to credit the photographer when you post images of your art.

• Pixabay.com -  Free site. Photos are donated on many subjects. Credit the photographer if you post images of your art from their photo.

• Morgue file  - Free site. Make sure to credit the photographer when you post images of your art.

• Unsplash.com - Free site to download hi resolution photos.

• Stocksnap.com - Free site for hi resolution photos to download.

• Photos for artists -  Free site. A Great Facebook site with tons of donated photos on everything. It's a closed group so you have to ask to join and be on Facebook.

• WildlifeReferencePhotos.com  Only 5.00 per high resolution image - what a deal. Compare to the usual 20 - 40.00 for most stock sites. Nice photos with correct animal names to search from.

• Birding - Arizona and the Southwest. Facebook group site. One of my favorite sites for bird photos. A Facebook closed group, you can ask to join. Everyone is very nice and some may give permission for photo use.

• The Hummingbird Whisperer  Facebook group site with nice hummer pics. Some may give permission for photo use.

• Flicker.com - Social media site. A wonderful site to look at amazing photos. Search your subject and Ask the photographer if you can use a photo you love. Always give the photographer credit.

I have my eye on a Cannon power shot sx50 via ebay and Amazon, but it takes much more than good equipment for excellent photos. It's worth it to go to the experts when you want a great photo.

Lucy's Warbler Watercolor

A week ago I heard a very different call, right outside my door.
Today I finally glimpsed the bird singing in the dense branches of mesquite trees. It was hard because the bird was small, grey and very quick - flitting from branch and tree.
I've since discovered that most warblers are small and very quick, as they eat the insects.

It was fun solving the puzzle because for a while all I could hear was the call. Plus I was determined to find it.
Once sited and after a bit of searching with sound and site matching I learned I had spied a Lucy's Warbler. It's call was insistent, distinctive.
Here is the little bird gem that I torpedoed a mornings work to find. Dashing out whenever I heard it's call in hopes of spotting it!

Lucy's Warbler Field Study - Watercolor, colored pencil

While searching I was also treated to bright red Cardinal, Phainopepla, cheerful House Finches, Mourning Doves, and a lovely rich orange Queen Butterfly!

Also, yesterday around 6 pm on returning from my jog I stopped to watch a Cooper's Hawk dine on a fresh dove. It was amazing how fast it finished. The hawk has a large nest in a large tree by my house. Ruby amber eyes flashed in the late sunset as it neatly finished it's meal.

Time to get back to work - Continuing on my fun new Birdy Journey - I am Drawn By Nature.