April's coming attractions

Songbirds in ink and watercolor, monthly book giveaway, Substack live & more

Hello, everyone! We are now in the peak period for spring migration across most of the northern hemisphere, as birds make the trip to summer breeding grounds. This month we’ll celebrate spring songbirds and explore several very different ways to draw them by combining ink and watercolor:

• brush painting - expressive birds created in a few strokes

• tinted ballpoint - a detailed approach that looks like vintage natural history art

• line and wash - a lively technique for your sketchbook

You’ll need some watercolors (either in tubes or pans), a couple of brushes (I’ll be using a #4 round and a 1/2 inch flat brush, with inexpensive synthetic bristles), and some watercolor paper. If you already have gouache (opaque watercolor) and want to use it instead, that is absolutely fine.

Important note: Because we’ll have three lessons this month, instead of the usual two, our schedule will be slightly different. Our first set of videos (ink and brush) will post this Friday, April 4. Tinted ballpoint will post the following Friday, April 11. We’ll finish up with the ink and wash project on Friday, April 25.

Substack Live

You’re invited! I’m hosting a Substack Live this Saturday, April 5. It will be available to everyone. I’ll be working on some studio commissions and would love to chat with you while I paint. It’s my first time trying the feature, so it may be a bit bumpy, but I’ll start at 1pm CST (11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern). You will get an email reminder before it begins - and if you can’t be there, I will post the recorded session afterwards.

April Book Giveaway

This month’s giveaway is The Book of the Bird: Birds in Art. It’s an elegant collection of bird paintings, illustrations, and art photography from around the world. I hope it will inspire you! One paid subscriber will be randomly selected as winner on April 5 (I use anonymous selection software).

True & Faithful Fundraiser extended

Huge and heartfelt thanks to everyone who has responded to my fundraiser for True & Faithful Senior Rescue Mission. These folks (all volunteers) are angels on earth, pulling elderly/sick/injured dogs from high-kill shelters and providing complete medical care, then adoption to loving homes. Through May 1, half the cost of any online course from my studio website will be donated to their organization. To sweeten the deal, you may choose any second course for free. All course are lifetime access, and you may gift your extra course to someone else if you like. See all 30 courses HERE.

The very last thing

Visit my studio website HERE

Find me on Instagram HERE

See my online gallery/shop of miniature watercolors HERE