Four Autumnal Drawings

The Cormorant
11-07-13
charcoal

One Mallard
10-27-13
charcoal

Reflections in still water
11-02-13
colored pencil

Reflections
11-06-13
charcoal

One bird

A cormorant
07-09-13
charcoal

Sketchbook Pages

Recent scans of sketchbook spreads. All this work done at the dam in South Natick or Lake Waban in Wellesley.

A very humid day last Saturday; 7 cormorants were on their favorite perch.

two mallards investigating the cascade of water. This was in a light rain.

mallard stretching wings and trying settle his feathers

mallards walking up the sides of the fish ladder looking for things to eat.

mallard resting on a log (ballpoint pen, wash)

Last Sunday: a view of the island below the dam from the bridge.

A sandpiper

Sandpiper on top of the dam

mallard feeding atop the dam (charcoal, ink wash)

mallard plumage

mallards and sandpipers

looking for food

I love the sinuous bodies of ducks

preening mallard and flowing water

flying mallards

Return of the Cormorants

One by one (or is it two by two?) the summer residents make their way back to this area. Here is a pair of Double-Crested Cormorants on their favorite perch at Lake Waban. They are beautiful birds to draw because their bodies are angular and shapely and they like to hang out, dry their feathers and strike these marvelously dramatic poses.

Here are some drawings from last summer:

Four for the Fourth

Four cormorants this morning

Lake Waban, July 4, 2011