paintings of birds: a tribute to our feathery friends

Birds inspire our artwork with their colors, beauty and grace. These paintings of birds display their wonders and diversity.

We see birds everywhere. They are our friends throughout the day.

They awaken us in the morning with their songs of joy. The evening whip-poor-will and the soft coos of the dove give rest to our souls.

Let's look at some of their portraits.

Paddlin' Pelican

Pelicans are amazing birds. We got to feel one when we accidentally caught him while we were fishing.

They look large, but they actually don't weigh very much. They are very light weight. When we let him go, he paddled around looking at us, as if to say thank you.

The "Paddlin' Pelican" made a beautiful painting of birds.

The Puffin

There is such a variety of birds, from the soaring Condors to the tiny Bee Hummingbird. God outdid himself when he created "The Puffin"!

This bird is amazing with its outstanding colors and patterns on their head especially. What fun it was painting this unusual bird.

paintings of birds we see

I like to walk in the mornings when everything is clean and crisp. One time I kept seeing a Downy Woodpecker on the pine trees when I walked by every morning.

Downy on a Pine

Finally, I told my husband, I think it means I am supposed to add him to the paintings of birds. I'm going to paint him. I took some photos to figure out how to paint the pine bark and the Virginia Creeper that was turning red.

So, I did the "Downy on a Pine" with Virginia Creeper climbing up the tree. The red creeper leaves complimented the red on the Downy's head to make a beautiful nature painting.

Free Love

Sometimes an artist will get stuck on one thing for a while. "Free Love" came after a dolphin and egret paintings that were done with pink, purple and turquoise.

The colors are softer in this painting to portray the soft nature of the mourning doves loving on each other.

Love is our gift to give. A simple, beautiful bird painting to portray a complex subject.

Cleaning Up

One of God's beautiful creations are bluebirds. We have a bluebird nest in the front yard. They raise two sets of babies each year.

Bluebirds don't eat from the birdseed feeders because they prefer grubs. But they are regular visitors to the birdbath.

We enjoy seeing them bring their youngsters to drink and bathe. I took a photo and did this bird painting of a male bluebird while he was “Cleaning Up”.

Avocets

"Avocets" are very picturesque birds.

It was hard to believe that they were real birds when I first saw them because they are so perfect looking. They might have a bad hair day sometimes, but I haven't seen it.

They frequent the wetlands of the western United States. They forage for food by swinging their long bills from side to side in the shallow waters.

See more info about the Avocets.

Wren and Morning Glories

The little wrens are so perky and always fun to watch. The blue Morning Glories made a lovely oil painting in the "Wren and Morning Glories".

It's as much fun watching the birds, as growing the flowers. My yard is full of flowers to attract and feed the butterflies and birds.

Two of my most favorite flowers are a selection of roses outside and orchids that grow in the house.

Cardinal 'n' Dogwood

I went out and painted some of the wild Dogwood flowers while they were blooming.

After I came home, a male Cardinal made a good addition for the "Cardinal 'n' Dogwood" painting. Birds and flowers are always a good combination for a painting.

Start oil painting with Oriole and Dogwood flowers.

Rooster

When Florida became my home, I only painted with oils. But, at my new home, watercolor paintings were the norm.

So, I started working on my watercolor skills. Watercolor can be painted in a realistic manner like the "Rooster" above.

Or we can let the watercolor do its amazing things. It was fun letting the paint flow in the bird painting below.

Egret and Lilies

No more trying to paint like a photograph. Here I let my artist imagination fly free with this "Egret and Lilies" watercolor painting.

In Florida it is quite common to see the egrets out walking among the lily-pads looking for something to eat.

This time because the egret had a yellow-orange beak, I made some of the lily-pads yellow-orange. What fun it was doing this bird painting in a free style!

Anhinga with Mangrove

Florida was my second home for about thirty years. I really enjoyed all the bird life. The Anhinga is one of the native birds seen around the waterways and lakes.

Some people call them snake birds. When they are swimming, their body is submerged with their head and neck sticking out of the water. People think it resembles a snake. Not to me, they are just interesting birds.

One day I saw this one in a lake across the street from a shopping center. I snapped some photos and painted the "Anhinga with Mangrove" on watercolor paper.

Ruby-throat Feeding

Hummingbirds are fascinating. They have been the subject of many of my bird paintings over the years.

This little oil painting of a "Ruby-throat Feeding" was done when round and oval canvases were popular with the artists.

You may want to look at some watercolor Hummingbird Paintings.

Backyard Robin

The robin redbreast is an all-American bird; it's seen in all of the continental 49 states. This page of bird paintings wouldn't be complete without this popular bird.

Every morning and just before dark my backyard is filled with robins. Here's a simple oil painting of a "Backyard Robin".

you can do paintings of birds

Birds are an incredibly diverse and a fascinating subject for both aspiring and seasoned artists. Let the birds inspire your next painting!