Getting excited about the birds! March 2026 update
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Wow, did February fly by quickly! Almost like...a bird. Which is what I'm talking about for most of this update. Let's see what I’ve been up to lately!
In this update:
I'm all a-twitter about the birds of spring!
Two workshops coming up — join me!
On my easel: Mischievous sisters
I'm all a-twitter about the birds of spring!
In just a few days, spring will begin. And you know that means: the birds will come back!
I love birds. I especially love to paint birds. Over the years, I’ve painted dozens of bird species, from sparrows to hummingbirds to kingfishers to robins to ducks to cardinals…the list goes on and on. Many of those birds I’ve seen at Timid Turtle Pond, my happy place and a great painting location.
Sometimes the birds I paint are for special occasions, like the eagle I painted for my Dad’s 80th birthday. The eagle was always his symbol. My siblings and I gave him a carved wooden eagle that he displayed with pride in his front yard.
Other birds I paint just because I love their colours or their quirky personalities. You would think a robin or a sparrow is a pretty common bird and not worth painting. But when you sit and watch them hop around, pull worms from the ground or grab insects from the air, you realize they’re pretty incredible.
I love to be surrounded by birds. In one of my studios, I painted birds all over the walls so they could keep me company.
The other thing I love about birds is their songs. Another childhood memory: camping with my family, my Dad always told us to be quiet and listen to the birds. To this day, I like to listen to bird songs while I paint, either through my headphones or live at the edge of my pond.
What about you? Do you love birds?
Two workshops coming up — join me!
Spring is workshop season, and I have two workshops coming up to tell you about. Best of all, both workshops are about birds!
Both workshops are suitable for artists of all levels (including beginners who have never painted before) and all supplies are included. While the workshops have different names, both have the same focus: painting a beautiful, colourful bird on a canvas panel using a variety of mixed media, including collage, spray paint, acrylic paint, stencils, molding paste and more.
The names, times and locations of the workshop are:
Spring Is For The Birds, Saturday, March 28 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere. More information and registration here.
Welcome Back The Birds of Spring, Saturday, April 18 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Shuswap Social District in Scotch Creek, B.C. More information and registration here.
I hope to see you in one or both workshops!
On my easel: Mischievous sisters
This month I’ve been working on something a little different. I’m still focusing on wild animals, but I’m treating them a little differently.
I’m not sure if this is a full new series or not, but in my mind, the theme of these paintings is sisters. I’m representing the sisters with bear cubs. As you can see from their expressions and poses, the sister bear cubs are full of mischief and fun. And while they’re being silly, they can always lean on each other. (They’ll save the serious bear work, like scaring hikers, for when they’re a little older!)
You’ll notice the backgrounds for my latest paintings are a little different. The colours are still bright, but I’m using a different colour palette (with pinks, greens and neutral colours) and incorporating mixed media elements such as collage and stencils in a way that complements the colours and shapes of the bear cubs.
What do you think? Do you like the direction I’ve been taking this month? Is there a room in your home or office you could see one of these paintings in? Let me know!
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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