Don't Worry, Be Hoppy

I smile every time I see this picture, so I just had to dedicate a blog to this charming frog…

Posing nicely for the camera!

This cute little guy seemed very pleased to have his picture taken. In fact, his stout body willingly hung on to the fallen leaf long enough for Mikey to take a nice array of amphibian close-ups.

Disclaimer: Mikey actually took this picture last Fall, but with all of our wacky Spring weather, the frogs are already out in full force putting on their nightly concerts. I couldn’t resist pulling this one out of the archives....

I hope you have a HOPPY day!

Beautiful Blue Heron on the Hunt

We see a lone blue heron by the pond only a few times a year, so these rare visitors stir up a lot of chaos...errr...excitement in our house!

Here’s the scene:

Downstairs - Michael is in his office/studio frantically setting up his camera. Lens caps are flying everywhere as he switches out his lens. He gingerly approaches his window and gets into shooting position.

Upstairs - I’m trying to contain three very curious dogs and keep them from barking out the windows.

Guess who has the more difficult task?!

The blue heron is a funny character. He stands very still and statuesque for several minutes…

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Just landed!

Until he spots a snack in the pond. Then, his lanky legs stealthily tip-toe to the shore…

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Sneaking up on dinner!

He stretches out his long neck and uses his bill as a spear to pluck the fish out of the water. Then, he flies away to the next watering hole!

Once I heard Michael roar a robust "argh!" I knew something must've spooked this blue heron away. So, the bird didn't get his fish. Michael didn't get his shot. But, I could finally let the dogs go back to defending their turf! 

Whew! That was a crazy, intense 4-1/2 minutes!

Airborne Action - Part 1

Moving right along to the next red-tailed hawk drawing, Michael decided it was time to shake things up from the classic "poses." It's time for some serious AIRBORNE ACTION!

Here is a peak at the progress…
 

Red-tailed hawk - in the early stages!

Michael chose this stellar stance because he loves the hawk's fierce determination as he rips through the air, targeting a tasty treat below. (Eww!)

How convenient that Michael recently stumbled upon a hawk's feather for some real-life inspiration...


A real red-tailed hawk feather!

He originally thought it was a turkey feather because we often have a troop of wild turkeys trottin’ through the yard. But, as Michael researched the red-tailed hawks, he realized it was actually a hawk feather! (Research…is not overrated! J)

In true "renaissance man" form, Michael has three drawings in progress right now, along with some other exciting projects. Stop back soon to see more of this drawing and some fun photos of cute critters hangin' around the woods!

Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk - Part 2 of 2

Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk - Finished!

I am so excited to share with you Michael’s finished red-tailed hawk portrait!

He put his heart and soul into this project. Tears of joy filled my eyes as he showed me the completed drawing. (I think there may have been a tear in his eye, too!)

Actually, he had many mixed emotions: relieved to be done…happy with his accomplishment…sad to “sign off”...and motivated to move on to the next drawing.

As a small child, Michael was always told he had a special gift. He took several art classes during college and dabbled with drawing throughout the years, but never had the opportunity to focus on it as he does now. I am so proud of him for stepping out of his CEO comfort zone (for now) and pursuing these lifelong dreams!

As for his next drawing...? Since he's into red-tailed hawks at the moment, I suggested he continue his momentum and draw a few more to develop a series or set. And since I'm his "art consultant and business partner" he happily agreed with me. So, Michael will be working on 2-3 more to finish out the Red-Tailed Hawk Series! 

Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk - Part 1 of 2

With a couple of colored-pencil drawings in the bag, Michael is feeling good…he’s gettin’ his artistic groove back!

Next up on the artist’s agenda: a detailed portrait of a red-tailed hawk. Let the research begin!

A stickler for artistic accuracy, Michael scoured the internet for pictures of these handsome hawks. And, yes, there are a gazillion red-tailed hawk images out there….but to find a non-Photoshopped image is like finding a needle in a haystack...or winning the $590 million Powerball!

Michael started this drawing in April (which was before I started this blog), but here's what I would've been posting along this portrait's journey. Take a look:

The outline is in place!

Michael started with the feathers in the lower right corner of the picture...but he just wasn't feeling the feathers yet. The "feeling good" artist quickly became a "frustrated" artist. I suggested he move on to another part of the head. The beak...it was a beckoning! 

 

A little more detail added to the beak and head.

Below is an artist happy with his progress so far! Taped to his drawing board is his photo inspiration (non-Photoshopped!), practice sketches of the feathers and other features, and little yellow sticky notes (for example, "don't get too dark, too fast!")

A happy artist!

The eye of any hawk is such a striking feature. I was super excited to see this hawk's eye come to life...

EYE love it!

The feathers are falling into place beautifully...

A closer look...

 

At his art desk, adding the final touches...


 The focused artist at his art table.

 

Check back soon to see the final drawing of this amazing portrait! 

Tip from an artist's wife who blogs about her hubby's work: Some artists aren't super excited to get their non-finished art photographed...or posted online for the world to see. But, if you flash a nice big smile and say "pleeeease" in your sweetest voice, you just might get the shot!