Splashes of Colour

Here are some of the small birds and colourful plants that I saw on my visit to the Bloedel Conservatory at the beginning of January.

Rainbow Finch

The small birds are fascinating to watch, perpetually in motion, calling, eating, flying and singing. Even the tiniest of birds feels safe hopping around on the walkway between the visiting feet.

Red-billed Quelea

'Yes,' I answered you last night;

'No,' this morning, sir, I say.

 Colours seen by candle-light

Will not look the same by day.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Silver Pheasant

Canary

Zebra Finch

Zebra Finch

Red-billed quelea

Zebra Finch

Society Finch

Gouldian or Rainbow Finch

The Rainbow Finches are so colourful, as if someone has just finished dabbing them with every colour in their paintbox.

Chinese Pheasant

Rainbow Finch

Rainbow Finch and Zebra Finch

"Painting is a mosaic of colors weaved into a seamless whole." 

Igor Babailov

"Colours are brighter when the mind is open."

  Adriana Alarcon

This bird was looking at me and at the last second was distracted by something above it.

Orange headed Ground Thrush

Society Finch

Japanese White Eye

"Colors speak all languages." 

Joseph Addison

Colourful cactii and beautiful orchid.

-on trying to paint a pale blue sky...

"I cannot pretend to be impartial about the colors. 

I rejoice with the brilliant ones, and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns."

Winston Churchill

This is a view from under the foliage, the effect is created by coloured spotlights.

I only saw these pigeons once, they all (7 or 8 of them) flew in to the water basins, drank, posed and then were gone.

Pied Imperial Pigeons

"All colours will agree in the dark."

Francis Bacon

"Color is the fruit of life." 

Guillaume Apollinaire

I couldn't agree more!

Here is a short amusing video called "For the Birds":

I have been splashing a lot of colour around lately in my studio. Here are two watercolour paintings I have finished this week (both Italian scenes):

This one is of statues in Montepulciano:

"I was just Kidding!"

And this one of buildings on the elliptical central piazza in Lucca:

"Lunchtime in Lucca"

I have a show of my latest paintings, starting this weekend and lasting until the end of March, at Pane E Formaggio (4532 West 10th Avenue). See the paintings and details at Gillian Olson Art

That's all for this week, thank you so much for dropping by and Happy Whimsy Wednesday, until next week.....

My friend flicker?

Anyone else remember the 1950's television series "My friend Flicka"? It's about a horse named Flicka (Swedish for little girl) and the boy that was devoted to her, Johnny, on a fictional ranch in Wyoming. For some reason seeing a flicker reminds me of the show.

The other day I heard what I thought was the music from "Friendly Giant", now there is another blast from the past. I was transported back to after school TV so many years ago, and it was strangely comforting.

Why these flashes (don't get me started on that topic) back to the past, maybe my short term memory is failing, who knows. I can remember my phone number from when I was 6 years old, but on the other hand I can't figure out how to use my android phone properly ...... yet another story.

But today I wanted to talk about flickers and a beautiful pair that has been visiting my back yard feeders recently.

Red shafted or Northern Flickers, him above with his red cheek patches, showing off the red feathers in his wings and tail. Her, below, with grey brown cheeks; she has red feathers in wings and tail but not quite as bright. Both have beautiful spotted chests and a black crescent shaped black "cravat".

They are woodpeckers, and can be seen feeding on the ground, hammering on trees and at feeders. They make a high pitched kee kee kee sound (that's what it sounds like to me anyway) when approaching an area to feed, this to me sounds like "get out, get out, it's my turn" and seems to continue until the feeder is vacant.

Using her tail to "balance" on the feeder below:

Showing off the orange under feathers on her tail:

Here he is investigating some insect life on the power pole in the back lane. You don't want to see them on your house because it probably means you have an insect infestation.

She prefers the nuts ...........

........ and he the suet block ......

Flickers (other woodpeckers too) drill into trees and pieces of wood in search of food, but they also pound on other surfaces too, metal for instance, and can make a huge racket. It turns out that is exactly the point, to attract attention, handy when trying to attract a mate or scare away a rival, but not popular if it awakens one very early in the morning.

Another favorite show from that era was "Lassie". Do you have favorites from that time?

I have been busy in the studio this week, but am still finishing off a painting which I hope to reveal next week.

Since I seem to be living in the past a bit this week I thought I would show you something from the past, I apologize ahead of time if you have seen this before:

"Oh-fish-al Greeter"

This is a colour conte work from a series of door knockers that I did 2 or 3 years ago.

There is more information on the picture, on door knockers and on the conte medium on my art blog:

GillianOlsonArt

Thanks for stopping by, happy Whimsy Wednesday, until next week ..................

On Thin Ice?

"On thin ice" generally means a risky or uncertain situation.

But here it just means that we have had a bit of cold weather lately and the local pond is partly covered in ice; the ducks keep part of the pond ice-free for feeding and strut, preen and sleep on the rest.

The sky was clear and the early afternoon light was creating beautiful reflections as well, a bonus. The mallard below had just scooped up some water.

This pair at the edge of the ice.

This series of three pictures of a drake first preening, then fanning its feathers, then taking a drink of the thin layer of water on top of the ice.

 "Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate."  Albert Schweitzer

The ice had captured bubbles, reeds and leaves:

"Those who cannot understand how to put their thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of debate."  Friedrich Nietzsche 

The open water was reflecting the sky and greens and orange browns of the surrounding trees as well as the birds. Below an American Widgeon.

"In skating over thin ice our safety is in our speed." Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Mallards in the open water, first the male and then the female, she appeared to me to be smiling.

 

 "It's a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you into hot water." Franklin P. Jones

Striking a pose on top of the ice.

...and going for a waddle, in this series, she nearly slips in the second picture, then sort of glares at me and turns her back and wanders off.

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." Confucius 

Back at home, here is the ice covered gargoyle in our backyard fountain.

I started a few paintings this week, but none are ready for the big reveal.

Thank you for dropping by, Happy Whimsy Wednesday, until next week.....................