Hummingbird Painting - Persistence

"Have you ever observed a hummingbird moving about in an aerial dance among the flowers - a living prismatic gem.... it is a creature of such fairy-like loveliness as to mock all description."  ~ W.H. Hudson,Green Mansions

License this image here.

I'm still not 100% satisfied with this watercolor, but I am getting closer to what I want with this one. See more today about Drawing and Painting hummingbird wings in flight on SketchingEveryday .


"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." ~ Albert Einstein


"If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking."  ~ Buddhist Saying

A Hummingbird for Every Home!

I have not heard any reports from my friends of hummingbird sightings, although they should be coming in any day now! I saw my first a week ago. I've got several here now, so that means I probably have six or eight individuals so far. The rule of thumb is that however many you can see at one time, multiply the number times four and that's the approximate number of birds you have. Like I mentioned on FB, they are more interested in setting up their territory and catching bugs than in drinking sugar water right now.


Oh, hummingbird, most magical and mysterious creature! Last year with so many here (well over 100), for the first time in my many years of hummer watching, I got a real taste of what I call the "flocking nature" of the hummingbirds. One group would zoom in, hang out for twenty minutes or so, then they were off. Shortly thereafter another totally different group would come in, rest, drink up and catch a few snacks before taking off again like a flock of blackbirds. The flocking behavior became very evident late in the season when all the birds were getting ready to head back south for the winter. I am excited to imagine what mysteries and discoveries might present themselves this year!

Friends Are Treasures

"There is no wilderness like life without friends; friendship multiplies blessings and minimizes misfortunes. It is a unique remedy against adversity and it soothes the soul." ~ Baltasar Gracian