Bird Series - Goldfinch, © Carol Nelson Fine Art

I love to see that flash of yellow in my yard. Goldfinches like to eat thistle seed. I suppose if I were a really serious birding enthusiast I would grow Canadian thistle plants for the birds, but I'm not that much of a birder, preferring to put out a little of the thistle seed for them instead.
This painting is painted on a wood Baroque Artist panel with natural wood cradled sides. For purchase information, please see my website.

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Have you checked out the new Daily Painter Originals site yet? There are some wonderful daily painter members and I am honored to be a member of this group.

Bird Series - Baltimore Oriole, © Carol Nelson Fine Art

I did a bird series about a year ago which did not photograph that well, so I'm reposting them with photos taken with my new camera. Each painting in this series is painted on a Baroque Artist Panel. These are cradled hardwood panels that provide a smooth surface ideally suited for fine detail work.

The Baltimore oriole was a frequent visitor to my Mom's feeder where I grew up in Minnesota. They especially love oranges and grape jelly to snack on. I wish we had them here in Colorado where I now live, but I think they don't like the altitude or the low humidity here.

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GOULDIAN FINCHES, 9113, commission portrait of pet birds

A client asked me to paint his Gouldian finches. They have such colorful plumage - that's the male with the red head. There also is a variety that has the same coloring except the breast is purple where these two are white. The upper left is a nest box with three babies in it. The babies open mouths have the striking black and white pattern apparently for the parents to know where to put the food.
These energetic little finches breed easily in captivity under the right conditions. Breeders can become very involved in the genetics and planning the colors of the offspring.
This painting is sold.

NEST 2, 9100, textured birds nest with eggs © Carol Nelson Fine Art

This is my last nest posting for a while. This is similar to nest 1 except this is a 6x6 square, while the previous one was a 5x7. This presentation is also with a mat and under glass. The effect is similar to Nest 3 and with the glass on top, they almost look like actual nest and egg specimens.
For purchase information, please see my website. SOLD

NEST 3, 9101, textured birds nest with eggs © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Another bird nest with eggs that are speckled pinkish and brown. This painting is on a 5x7 inch gessoboard panel, which I would normally frame without glass. I had this black frame with double matting in my studio. When I slipped the painting in under the matting, it looked so good that I'm going to present it in this fashion.
If the glass is distracting, it can be removed, but on a matted painting, I like having glass to protect the mat. For purchase information, please see my website.

NEST, 9098, textured bird nest with eggs © Carol Nelson Fine Art

There is something intimate about peeking into a bird's nest to see a clutch of eggs. It is a sight rarely seen, and it is reassuring, in a way, to see nature's wild creatures going on with their life's business as they have for thousands of years.
I painted this piece on Gessoboard, which is a very smooth surface. To suggest a structure of weeds, grasses and twigs surrounding the eggs, I used heavy body acrylic paints mixed with modeling paste applied with a palette knife. The knife edge gave the thin, grass-like strokes I was looking for.
This painting is sold, but, stay tuned, as I plan on doing a series of eggs in nests.

Western Meadowlark, 9023

I remember hearing my first meadowlark. In the spring of our first year in Colorado, we had a house with a lot of fields around it. Mostly, the land was covered with native grasses and yucca plants. One morning I heard the sweetest melody. Looking around, I spotted this fellow perched on a yucca blossom and singing his heart out.
Meadowlarks build their nests on the ground and the male proclaims his territory with song. I never did find the nest, but he kept singing for weeks. Every year there would be another meadowlark with a slightly different combination of notes.
The meadowlark is the state bird of Nebraska - there certainly are a lot of fields in that state.
The eastern half of Colorado is high desert/prairie and great meadowlark habitat.
For purchase information, please see my website. SOLD

Baltimore Oriole, 9022

I don't have orioles visiting my feeder where I live now in Colorado, but when I was growing up in Minnesota, they were occasional summer visitors. I remember my Mom putting out oranges to attract them. They certainly are a spectacular sight with the bright orange and black plumage.
This original oil is painted on a 5x7 cradled panel. For purchase information, please see my website.

Goldfinch, 9020

I don't often see goldfinches in my yard, but when I do I always get excited at their flashes of bright yellow flitting around. This original oil is painted on a cradled 4x4 inch panel with the sides left natural wood.
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Watchful Eyes, 01509, owl closeup

I like the reflections in these eyes. This original oil painting is on 4x4 cradled hardwood panel. For purchase information, please see my website.

Raucous Visitor, 01609, blue jay

A brilliant flash of blue and a loud, strident call - you have a blue jay in your yard. I always know when they're around. This original 4x6 oil is another in my bird series on cradled wood panel.
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Chickadee with Berry, 01109

Chickadees stay around our house all winter. They especially like suet and black sunflower seeds. Occasionally they will also eat berries, such as this one from a sumac.
This original oil is on 4x4 cradled panel. I would like to do a series of birds on these little panels, leaving the sides unpainted - only varnished wood. They look good on a wall, on a mini easel, or just sitting on a shelf.
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Feed Me, 00609, baby birds in nest

You have to know where the nest is to see a scene like this. These baby robins keep the parents very busy.

This 6x6 original oil painting is on gallery wrap canvas with the sides painted. For purchase information, please see my website by clicking here. SOLD

Nest Mates, oil painting of baby birds

The story behind the image. A friend of mine gave me this picture taken inside a bird house. She wasn't sure what kind of bird these hatchlings are, but my bet is that they're blue birds.

It's going to be nesting season here soon. I already heard the first robins singing.

For purchase information, please see my website: http://data.fineartstudioonline.com/dataviewer.asp?keyvalue=3851&subkeyvalue=172065&page=WorksDetail SOLD