Sweet Life - SOLD

8" x 10" acrylic on linen panel

During this challenging time it is hard to stay positive at times.  The news is full of negative statistics and there seems to be an overwhelming insecurity around our future.  I came across one blog entitled,  10 Simple Things You Can Be Grateful for Even When Times are Tough. (grateful-when-times-are-tough)  by Henrik Edberg.  I will list the 10  here but the entire blog is worth the read.  I am grateful for this sweet life.

1.    A roof over my head and a warm home.

2.    Plenty of drinkable water.

3.    I don't have to go hungry.

4.    I can enjoy the small and free pleasures of life.

5.    Access to the internet.

6.    My friends and family.

7.    My health

8.    The kindness of people I have never met before.

9.    The setbacks that have formed me and made me stronger.

10.  I am alive

Don't Look Back - SOLD

8" x 8" acrylic on wooden canvas with sides 1/2 " painted black - works well on small stand or framed or not

The reference photo for this painting was provided by Carolyn Lavender Alexander.

Sweet Memories - SOLD

This is a cold, rainy day and I have had a wonderful time with a sleep over with my 5 grandchildren.  Such sweet memories.

Waiting My Turn

I am late getting my hummingbird feeder ready this year and because of that, I have not seen one hummingbird rushing by.  Usually they are knocking each other off the feeder and last year there was one who would go sit in the tree nearby and wait for his chance to have the feeder all to himself.  That was unusual as they generally are very aggressive toward each other.  I hope word gets out that I now have the feeder full with the red, sweet stuff so my little friends will visit.  I love them.

I'll Be Back-SOLD

Today I cleaned up my flowers in my yard, cut back my knock out roses and generally cleaned up the plants that have died for the winter.  I washed and packed up y hummingbird feeder several weeks ago.  They seem to leave around the first week or so of October.  I love this time of year but I realize I look forward to flowers and everything turning green again and the hummingbirds returning. 

I read that they are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings which flap at high frequencies audible to humans.  they hover in mid-air at rapid wing-flapping rates, typically around 50 times per second, allowing them also to fly at speeds exceeding 15 m/s (54 km/h; 34 mph), backwards.  Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute and they have a breathing rate of 2560 breaths per minute, even at rest.  During flight, oxygen consumption per gram of muscle tissue in a hummingbird is about 10 times higher than that seen for elite human athletes.

They have the highest metabolism of any homeothermic animal.  To conserve energy when food is scarce and nightly when not foraging, they go into torpor, a state similar to hibernation showing metabolic rate to 1/15th of its normal rate. 

This is a 6" x 6" on gallery wrapped canvas.

Hovering - SOLD

It makes me sad every year for the hummingbirds to leave.  This year especially because I moved to a new home and I felt that I had left old friends at my lake house and finally after a month or so of filling my feeder every couple of days, they came.  I love watching them even when they fight.

Sittin' Pretty - SOLD

Last week I painted the same hummingbird in four different ways.  I loved the little guy and I asked for opinions from my facebook friends of which one they liked the best.  This guy tied with another more colorful version that I will post tomorrow.  This gallery wrapped canvas is 6" x 6" with 1 1/2" sides that are painted. 

I'm Coming Back - SOLD

I love this little fellow.  I found this reference on Morguefile and I loved it so much this is the second time I have painted him in a different version.  These warm days make me look forward to the hummingbirds coming back.  This is painted on a 6" x 6" gallery wrapped canvas so the sides are 1 1/2" deep and painted and therefore the painting does not need a frame. 

Hummin' - SOLD

I love hummingbirds.  They are gone away now to wherever it is that hummingbirds go in the winter.  I have the feeder cleaned and put away until next year but I miss them.  This week was cold outside but the sun was shining brightly on the deck and I missed my little friends.  I painted this in their honor and this little guy is bringing a "prize" to me.  Maggie and Madeline Wertz are two friends I met "accidentally" and Maggie has purchased this painting and will be coming to visit.  Madeline, her daughter is a wonderful young artist.  See a picture of her and her work here.   I love seeing young people who love art and understand the meaning and joy it brings to our lives. 

Superman - SOLD

What else is there to say?

Mine ! - SOLD

I love watching the hummingbirds outside my office window.  In fact, I have even resuscitated two of them who tried to fly through the window.  I used a tiny syringe filled with sugar water and they were both able to be revived.  I guess word has gotten around the hummingbird community that I have sugar water because now they will come to my window if their feeder is low on food and they will just hover there until I replace their food.  Last weekend my granddaughter, Whitney and I were on the porch in our big white swing and a hummingbird flew by and landed about a foot away and just stared at us.  I told Whitney, "he wants more food."  We filled up the feeder and watched as he and 3 others started fighting over the new supply of sugary, red liquid.    This is the thing, the feeder can accommodate 4 birds but each one wanted to be THE ONLY ONE.  They can actually get aggressive and knock each other away.  When I saw this photo reference by Michael D Utin on Paint my Photo it reminded me of one of those aggressive little hummingbirds, the stance and the facial expression said it all!  "Mine!" 

Ummmm....there might be a life lesson here somewhere.

Hiding in the Cornflowers - SOLD

Rodney Campbell is a wonderful photographer who captures the most amazing scenes.  This is my interpretation of his photo.  A little hummingbird hiding in the cornflowers

Contemplating Leaving - SOLD

I mentioned that I know the hummingbirds will be leaving soon and this is my interpretation of a little one contemplating the time to leave.  This is an 8" x 10" oil on linen.

Sweet - SOLD

  I love hummingbirds and I have a feeder outside my office window.  If it becomes empty, the hummingbirds will come to the window and "hover" there.  Truly!  They occasionally fight over their place at the feeder and this week I had to encourage two sparrows to leave!  I know they will be leaving soon and I will miss them.