Birding

Lately I’ve gone from painting dead birds to live ones!

My teacup birds, while quite whimsical in concept, are a really about putting some life into the still life genre.  I love the layers of artifice that go into these pieces, There’s the teacup artist’s interpretation of a flower and then my re-interpretation of that as well as my careful observation of the real flowers in their corresponding teacup that I’ve arranged in the low afternoon sun that comes streaming in my studio windows.

Then I coax a bird to land on my vignette while I snap a picture. Yes, I wish. I must rely on my growing collection of photos that I take myself as well as some other photo references which I combine with my own work and obscure beyond any point of possible copyright infringement.  I need to invest in some more feeders – but I’m not beyond stalking the neighbor’s feeders. I find mornings are best! Although I’ve paused while writing this to take shots of junkos with my telephoto out here on the patio with my feet up on the fire pit and my laptop on my lap! Now if that humming bird will just come back for my pommegranate blossoms – no such luck!

Here are some of my better birding moments, not all teacup appropriate, but you never know…

Spotted Towhee (male) - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Spotted Towhee – Los Gatos

Purple House Finch (male and female) - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Purple House Finch – Carpinteria

Oregon Junko (male) - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Oregon Junko – Los Gatos

Lesser Goldfinch (male) - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Lesser Goldfinch (male) – Los Gatos

Lesser Goldfinch (female) - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Lesser Goldfinch (female) – Los Gatos

Anna's Hummingbird  - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Anna’s Hummingbird – Los Gatos

Stellar's Jay - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Steller’s Jay – Los Gatos

Starling and Cherry Blossoms - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Starling- Santa Cruz

Gulls by the Bay Bridge - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Seagulls – San Francisco

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo - photo Marie Cameron 2013

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo – Santa Barbara

Black Swan - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Black Swan – Santa Barbara

Peacock - photo Marie Cameron 2012

Peacock – Cupertino

Albino Peacock - photo Marie Cameron 2014

Albino Peacock – Ayelsford

Flamingo - photo Marie Cameron

Flamingo – Oakland