Rufous-Sided Towhee Original Watercolor

A few years ago,  I was up before dawn watching the birds above me. These flight patterns, these imprints into air, space, and sky were gorgeous and stayed with me. Contour drawings of different species’ flights came first, then a handful of paintings, later even more and now a collection.

Rufous-sided towhees (Spotted towhees) have moxie and they were an easy choice for this series. Their flight pattern is similar to other perching birds — not dissimilar to waves. This color palette was inspired by the towhee’s coloring and dead leaves of the forest floor. Brown watercolor strokes.

Watercolor on paper, in a contemporary white frame.

19″ x 27″