Note Type
Artist's NoteNote
This artwork was created for Van Dusen's Mass Audubon residency project. He visited Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary on June 10, 2015. Here is an excerpt from his blog entry:
EMBRACING THE GREENS
After lunch I'm back out on the trails, this time in search of birds. I linger by the big dead trees that stand in the middle of the WHIP Field. They are a magnet for birds, so I set up my scope and watch the parade. A kingbird, an oriole, tree swallows and a bluebird come and go, but the best models are a pair of red-winged blackbirds. They linger long enough for me to sketch and paint them.
Back near the overflow parking area I notice movement in an unmowed area near the split rail fence, and find two females, and one male Bobolink. The meadow here is a verdant tangle of vetch, milkweed, and a yellow-blossomed flower I can't identify. This mix of vegetation adds color and variety, and I take some digital photos of the plants to supplement my drawings of the birds. Back in the studio, I put together this larger watercolor using my field references.