I painted outdoors last Friday evening for the first time this season. It felt great. My subject was my friend’s pond. I learned something new. As it became dusk, redwing blackbirds began to descend and cling to the cat tails around the edges of the pond. The darker it became, the more birds nested until there were hundreds of them chattering away. It was quite a sight!
Yousei has posted a haiku of a blackbird soaring against blue sky here.
Leslie White 
4 Comments
Cool.
I adore this piece by this magnificient watercolor artist. And, as much as I loved the artwork itself, I especially loved the notes that she made about her experience at the pond with the red-winged blackbirds and their late evening ritual while she was working. Although I sadly do not live there anymore, I grew up in Indiana listening to the wonderful, unique churtling calls of red-winged blackbirds as they gathered for the night in the cat tails in the marsh near my home. So, I have also felt the wonder of such an evening as this artist has so deftly captured in her painting and her words.
Thank you for re-awakening those memories for me with this work, Leslie.
How timely! Isn’t it great to get outside again. I feel like I have been encased for months. I haven’t, but it feels like it. 🙂
Thanks, Yousei. I painted this last May at a friend’s house. I just think it was pertinent to your post so pinged you! I will be going out as soon as the days are high 60’s and low 70’s.