Arizona Songbirds Coloring Book Art

This is the second design I chose to play with from the previous coloring book.  The fanciful birds were painted to represent songbirds native or migrant to Arizona.
Birds painted included: Yellow Warbler, Western Tanager, American Goldfinch, Vermillion Flycatcher, Red Faced Warbler and Painted Redstart.
I resisted the temptation to add more birdies such as Verdin and Hummingbirds!

Arizona Spring. Adapted from Eleri Fowler's charming coloring book Joyous Blooms to Color.

It was a simple, no thinking painting that was relaxing.  I enjoyed puttering through my bird books to pick my bird colors. Warm brights for the birds and flowers, cool blues, greens for the leaves.
The painting is embellished with lots of gold, just on the leaves as I played with the metallics. It looks pretty, shimmering in the light. Watercolors on watercolor paper.

Practice Shots - Bird Inks

These are "practice shots" to warm up drawing my skills. With all the spring activity I've been doing more birding to sharpen observation and memory.
Really fun and challenging plus the neighbors have bird feeders - how convenient! 
This practice ink was done from observation and photo reference. 

Brilliant yellow birds, bright rose finches and reds (cardinals & vermilion flycatchers). 

American Goldfinch

 With my binoculars I have spotted:

house finches, goldfinch (many), anna's hummingbirds, broad billed hummingbird, vermilion flycatcher, oriole (hooded), verdin, raven, dove, cooper's hawk, 1 owl, sparrow, woodpecker, phainopepla, cardinal.

Hello Little Goldfinch

Goldfinch mosaic in progress from my tile series.
Stained glass, bead.