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.....