Muggy has been the operative word here in MA this summer. While we haven't experienced the high heat and drought of the mid-west it has been muggy, and warm enough to make it uncomfortable. Since it is now mid August I am sure some cooler weather will be arriving soon enough, I am looking forward to it.
I still haven't been doing a lot of drawing. The mallard duck above is one exception. I call it Duck with Attitude. Actually it was a duck looking for more duck food, but hey, I don't think I need to explain that too much more.
I am not sure if it is male or female, the males in non-breeding plumage look a lot like the females, the color of the bill is supposed to be the indicator but since color can vary it can sometimes be hard to tell. The photograph this is based on was made at the Trailside Nature Center in the Blue Hills Reservation. The ducks are used to being fed so will get quite close. For this photograph I was sitting on the ground.
Thought you might like to see the original photograph.
The only other drawing I have been consistently doing has been my Monday night figure drawing sessions. I am a bit behind posting them so I will post 2 this week in an effort to catch up.
Not much to say about these. The artist whose studio we use has returned so I expect the poses will go back to being more lounging with no backs. What can I say, the sessions have been run by one of the female models while he has been away, and woman aren't as fixated on fronts as men are.
I need to get back to drawing more during the week, both for the blog and for myself, as I am not totally pleased with how the Monday night figure drawings have been coming out.
Though I haven't been drawing I have been busy visiting various nature centers and making lots of photographs. Several of the best butterfly photos I have posted to my flickr account, if you care to look.
Above is a bumble bee on some blooming catnip. Photo was made at Daniel Webster where I have been observing lots of birds this summer, Hummingbirds, Green Herons, Great Blue Herons, various Hawks and the Ospreys. It has been a good summer for birds observation even if it hasn't been all that good for bird photography, the birds tend to be too far away from me.
One last photo for today, this one was made at Oak Knoll in Attleboro, MA. A skipper on some black eyed susans. The color of the skipper butterfly blends with the yellow/orange of the flowers. I just liked the colors, though I probably have some more spectacular butterfly images over on the flickr site. I have been lucky enough to see and photograph some mating butterflies this year, some American Coppers and also more Monarchs, it has been a good year so far for butterflies.
That is it for today. Per usual comments are always welcome.
Your duck with attitude is so good...as are your photographs. Lucky you getting such warm weather, we have had lots of rain this summer, in fact no summer to speak of...keep waiting for it to begin.
ReplyDeleteAs a little girl I used to look forward to feeding the ducks in our lagoon. She is lovely you've truly captured her spirit.
ReplyDeleteAnn thanks for the comment, the duck was so much fun to draw, I had a hard time selecting photos to post, and am not sure I really picked the best. As for the heat, I would have been just as happy to have shipped some of it across the pond in exchange for some more rain, though we have had more rain than the center of the country.
ReplyDeleteMary you were lucky to have had the opportunity to feed ducks, I didn't when growing up. There is a spot in my local park where they allow folks to feed the birds, mainly Canada Geese, and in the winter seagulls, but there are also ducks, and a family of swans, sometimes I can get some great photographs, which I can translate to drawings. I love watching the kids, they take such joy in watching the birds go after the food.
ReplyDeletewonderful drawings
ReplyDelete