Winter Birds

Winter is a time I think of desolation — all my flowers are asleep and the grass is brown and matted from the weight of snow. Blue sky days feel few and far between and even when the sun is shining, there is no warmth to bring joy.

As November hustles on and winter is fast approaching, I wanted to focus on the beauty of winter. I wanted to remind myself that there are things to which one may look forward. To help myself, I chose to paint some birds that live in my state, Utah, during the winter. They may or may not live here year-round (I’ve not done enough research), but they are friendly little birds that one might spot whilst hiking in a snowy forest.

The top left painting is of a little Dusky Grouse — a chicken-like bird that is so pleasantly plump.

The top right painting is of a Brown Tree Creeper. These little birds start at the base of a tree and climb up in a spiral whilst hunting for bugs to eat.

The bottom left is a sweet little chickadee — I love their high-contrast heads and precious little faces.

Finally, The bottom right is a Stellar’s Jay. I imagine it must be so exciting to spot on of these bright blue birds against the white snow.

These paintings will be available at the Utah Art Market’s Holiday Market December 4th-7th in Millcreek, Utah. More details are here.