April 6, 2013
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Art/Craft

Drawing from Nature: Blue Bird, Happiness

A day belated simple blue bird…

The birds I have posted here so far with Gayla’s invitation have been calls for Spring. As of today, while Winter’s legacy does still linger in crusty countryside ditch snowbanks and the occasional flurry of odd styrofoam-like snow pellets, many signs of Spring are happily appearing.

The scents and smells are returning. Even the sometimes fetid first whiff of last year’s decomposing plant matter can be wonderful. Winter can often feel sterile, even dead, with natural smells locked in temporary cryonic freeze. In these early Spring days, with animals and plants reappearing to the delight of our senses, and the air so much easier to draw in to our lungs, we wait even for that first ozone-tinged rain storm. Smells tie us to life and memory so directly.

Make your way outside, breathe as deeply as you can and identify those smells that mean Spring to you.

– Davin

Birds portrayed in the “Drawing from Nature” series by Davin Risk are purely imaginary — any similarity to true species is entirely accidental.

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March 22, 2013
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Art/Craft

Drawing from Nature: Bird in a Thicket

I felt myself applying the colour to this bird heavily and vigorously as it came to life. I grabbed and scrubbed with the most vibrant pencils I had at hand muttering “[expletive] Winter” while trying to drive warmth into the paper.

A lot of us are there right now. We understand and respect that Nature needs to do its thing sometimes but we’re wondering sometimes aloud, “Seriously, why does Nature have to be such a jerk?” The Earth has cooperated by easing into its springtime alignment and brightening our evenings and we are honestly thankful. But here we are still checking at least three weather websites seeking those glorious above freezing digits.

– Davin

Find your own Imaginary Bird.

Birds portrayed in the “Drawing from Nature” series by Davin Risk are purely imaginary — any similarity to true species is entirely accidental.

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March 8, 2013
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Art/Craft

Drawing from Nature: Vernal Harbinger

As the Vernal Equinox draws tantalizingly close, the birds can sense the coming change. Already, their calls are more raucous in the mornings — their numbers are increased on branches excited for above-zero days and equalized day and night.

Where we live, we can’t really count on true Spring weather until later in April but like the birds, our eyes are widening and we stretch ourselves that much closer to the morning sunshine as we urge on the change.

– Davin

BONUS: I was really happy with this drawing and thought I would try offering some prints, cards, and iPhone skins.Check out our Society6 shop

This post is the second in the “Drawing from Nature” series by Davin Risk. All birds have sprung purely from the imagination and any similarity to true species is entirely accidental.

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