If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.
Chinese Proverb
Crested Barbet - pen and watercolour in Agenda Planner Journal - Maree©
I heard the Crested Barbet's warbling song early this morning, so I rushed out with my sketch-book, knowing that they sit still in once place for a long time, stretching their warble for so long one thinks he's going to run out of breath!
Had plenty of time to do a quick outline sketch, filling it in with detail as he warbled on. A few quick stokes of colour and I was done!
The Crested Barbets are regular visitors to my garden and seem to know when the feed tables contain fruit - the love apple and banana and will sometimes swallow grapes whole!
I used only 4 colours on this quick exercise - Payne's Grey, Orange, Alizarin Crimson and Burn Sienna, all from Daler-Rowney. Oh, I almost forgot - and Sap Green for the leaves.
I am a watercolorist living on my little piece of African soil in Ballito, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The inspiration for my art is the wonderfully rich variety of Fauna and Flora to be found throughout this beautiful country.
Art & Creativity - Maree Clarkson
JUST ME :: and a stack of blank pages
:: Living creatively ::
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About me
This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realise it is play. The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is. I’m here to tell you that the path to peace is right there, when you want to get away. When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. That is very serious!
Fabulous bird. We don't have barbets in the US.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog.
xoxo
thanks Vicki - I think it might be related to your Cardinals.
ReplyDeleteI love the crested barbets - they can be such clowns sometimes, rolling around on our compost heap where all the overripe fruit is tossed. Great capture of him Maree!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cathy! They always do look a bit scruffy, don't they?
ReplyDelete