I love birds and I have this great hanging feeder just outside my studio window. I wish I could enjoy their antics year round but that isn't allowed where I live. Bears have learned how delicious sunflowers seeds taste and as we say in Alaska, "A fed bear is a dead bear". Once a bear finds that kind of food source he can get a little TOO pushy about getting fed regularly. Nothing good comes from that situation. So winter is the season for sleeping bears and busy birds.
It is a beautiful snowy day with light flakes drifting down. I decided to sketch some of the activity around the window. The background is a collage using magazine pages sealed down with Golden gel medium on a canvas panel. I used a stencil and acrylic paint to get some texture that gives the loose feel of snow falling. The nuthatch was drawn on a heavy watercolor paper and then watercolor was added. I cut out the design and added some touches of colored pencil to help it stand out from the busy background. I used a simple glue stick to adhere the bird to the panel. I like the busyness of background. I feel it matches the energy of these little creatures that have to work so hard to keep themselves fed and warm in 3 degree weather!
Look our your window today and see what inspires you. Are you thinking," I know there is nothing inspiring out this window!" Look again, you might surprise yourself.