"Piping Plover" (gouache on paper; 7" x 7") sold

sold

During the winter term at the Art League School in Alexandria, VA, I taught a new class called "Experiments in Watercolor". I introduced the students to various mediums, such as dip pen, brush pen, watercolor pencils, watercolor crayon, oil pastel, colored pencils, and gouache, to enrich watercolor. Being relatively new to gouache myself, I practically taught myself how to paint in this opaque watercolor. When I pulled off "Piping Plover" one evening, I knew I finally figured out this tricky medium!

"Piping Plover" (oil on linen; 7" x 5") sold

sold

While taking a little break from my California series, I did a bird painting.  According to Wikipedia, the piping plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America.  The bird I painted must be a baby since it doesn't  have a black band across the forehead from eye to eye and a black ring around the neck.  If you are a beach goer, you must have seen it running in short starts and stops.

It was fun to paint the lovely avian creature.