Art by Vivian Cooper

3 Ways to Attract Birds for Painting Inspiration

 Miscellaneous Monday! 

Birds have fascinated me since I was a child. In the spring I would hunt for nests with eggs and once found I would keep a close eye on the nest. I wanted to witness a brave little chick entering the world. I was quite successful and saw many wet feather bundles  peck their way from the confines of their eggshell. I always felt a little jolt of triumph each time one burst forth.

Birds are a popular subject for painting. Try to attract as many species as possible to get great variety of reference photos for future paintings. You can do this in 3 ways.

Provide Food

Place feeding stations around your yard. I have one right in front of my studio window. Many websites give instructions on how to make bird feeders. One of my favorites is Birds and Blooms. Patiently wait and photograph the birds for reference photos as they visit the feeders. Different types of food may be offered, sunflower seeds, thistle seeds and suet seem to be the favorites in my neck of the woods. Don't forget the hummingbirds! They love sugar water and if you are patient will accept it right from your hand. Research your local birds and find out what kind of food attracts them.

Provide Water for Drinking and Bathing

Bird baths and ponds offer wonderful opportunities for the birds to drink and bathe. Always keep the bird baths clean and filled with fresh water. In the winter if you experience freezing temperatures you can buy heated bird baths to ensure your feathered friends have plenty to drink in the winter months.

 

My Backyard Pond

 

Provide Nesting Sites and Materials

Research the types of birds that come to your yard and put up nest boxes for them in different spots around your property. Plant shrubs and trees for safe nest building spots for birds that won't use a nest box. In the spring gather dryer lint, dog hair and strings and put them in a suet holder to provide nest building materials. There is a great article written by Julie Day on the site Today's Homeowner providing lots of tips and ideas about providing nesting materials. For nesting box info and building plans you can visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology page Nest Watch

If you would like to see some of the birds I have photographed this winter visit my Facebook Page  Album here

These are two bird paintings I have completed this winter but you can see more at my Etsy Shop ViviansART

Feel free to browse around! Happy Birding.

 

Watercolor, 5 x 7 Chickadee, ©VivianCooper2013

 

 

Cardinal, Watercolor, 7 x 5 ©VivianCooper2013

 

Why I Love Pastels

Pastel 8 x 10 Cane Corso ©VivianCooper2014

I have loved painting with pastels since I was a child. Unlike watercolor, which took years to learn, I was almost instantly successful with pastel. The ease of handling and the ability to layer the colors or blend them right on the painting surface gave me instant satisfaction.

Pastels were once thought of as just a drawing tool and not a medium for a finished art work. Thankfully Edgar Degas pushed pastel painting from a sketching tool into a fully accepted major artistic medium. I love that guy!

Pastels have a reputation for being delicate, easily smudged and easily damaged. With modern fixatives and proper handling these concerns have been reduced considerably. Being almost pure pigment pastels are actually very tough. They are light fast, won't crack when framed or stored properly and they will last indefinitely.  Degas' pastels have been around for 97 years and are just as brilliant and beautiful as the day he completed them. That's pretty cool considering pastel is powdered pigment rubbed on paper.

 I have recently decided to start offering pastels works in my Etsy Shop. I am also going to begin doing tutorials and information articles about pastel painting here on my blog.  So stay tuned.

In the mean time here is a sample of my pastel work for you to enjoy.

Gurley Girl, Pastel, © VivianCooper2014

 

Lindsey, Pastel, © VivianCooper2014

 

Lizy Jane, Pastel © VuvuanCooper2014

 

Buck, Pastel. ©VivianCooper2014

 

Jessie, Pastel, 22x32, ©VivianCooper 2014

 

Pastel 8x 10 Miniature Pinscher ©VivianCooper2014

Mr. Whiskers

Recently during a photo contest on my Facebook Page one of the contestants passed over the Rainbow Bridge . His mom was devastated. Others might have let the pain stop them from continuing with the contest but she was more determined than ever to win the contest! She did. She wanted it to be Mr. Whisker's legacy. He is legendary in these parts!

A few days ago she posted a meme on my Facebook Page that had this quote on it:

"When buying from an artist/maker, you're buying more than just an object/painting. You are buying hundreds of hours of failures and experimentation. You are buying days, weeks and months of frustration and moments of pure joy. You aren't just buying a thing, you're buying a piece of heart, part of a soul, a moment of someone's life. Most importantly, you're buying the artist more time to do something they are passionate about." 

 This quote really sums it up for what it means to be the artist, but it doesn't tell the other side of the story.

Art does that.

Painting isn't just about capturing a likeness. It is about capturing all of the bits of love, joy and sorrow along with tiny pieces of the heart and soul of a relationship. Then distilling all of those things into one moment in time. A moment that will last long past the brief time that is life on earth.

This one was particularly difficult for me because I was never fortunate enough to  meet Mr. Whiskers, a gorgeous black and white feline. I did, however, have some pictures and a few descriptions of his personality from Facebook posts and some stories from mutual friends.

I gathered from the pictures that he was a loved and treasured companion to his mom. He was also very patient as his mom liked to dress him up, which he seemed to take in stride. He meant the world to her and he wasn't about to let a silly hat cause a rift between them! He was a gentleman after all and he loved his mom.

 

Deciding the pose for his painting was difficult. I looked though all the photos sent to me by his mom and then I pilfered some from her Facebook pics.

 

 

The thing that kept standing out in every photo was his inherent dignity and seemingly steady soul. Even dressed in the silliest of get-ups he seemed regal. 

I started with two sketches and decided on this one.

 

 In every picture of him this quiet regal vibe came through and that is what I wanted to get down in paint. I made a second line sketch and transferred it to my watercolor paper.

Mr. Whisker's eyes were mesmerizing in each and every pic. I love the beautiful glowing quality of his eyes and so I started the painting with his eyes.

I just went from there.

This is what I love about painting. Capturing someone's moment in time, a piece of love, immortal in it's depth and strength. Something special that will be a reminder of all the the seconds, minutes, hours and days that all came together to be a beautiful life. A life shared with someone special. Kitty Love!

Cutie

Foxy Little Lady 8x10 Watercolor, ©VivianCooper2013

This little darlin' is finally finished and ready to ship to Myrtle Beach SC! This is one cute baby and I loved painting her!

I hope her momma enjoys this special piece for many years to come! Art is meant to be kept forever!

Soon I will be working on a painting for the  winner of my recent photo contest. I really want it to be great. So stay tuned and see if I succeed!

Turns Out It is a New Year's Amaryllis

The beautiful Amaryllis bulb I planted for some winter floral inspiration took it's sweet time about actually blooming. Although I followed the directions and even planted it well before the holidays a Christmas blossom just was not to be.

The going or should I say GROWING was slow. Before Christmas I posted an update excited that it appeared I would indeed have a blossom by Christmas. My glee was premature and I was soon to be acquainted with an acute case of frustration. The dang thing didn't bloom until New Year's day! Then it has taken another 8 full days for the rest of the blossoms on the stalk to open.

There are four blossoms in all, each one pink, perfect and beautiful. They are definitely floral  inspiration for my painting! I guess in reality they bloomed at a perfect time. While this Polar Vortex is freezing me here in SC, I can be distracted by something lovely and daydream of the promise of spring.

Free To Reveal The Commissioned Paintings

Finally the Holidays are over. All of the paintings I was commissioned to do as gifts have been given and I can post them on my blog freely! Most of the paintings were commissioned by customers wanting to give their loved ones a special gift for Christmas. I worked really hard at giving them something special and awaited feed back anxiously. I was informed that at least 3 recipients cried over their gift. Now I call that a success when I can make 3 people cry. My work here is done.

Daisy and Oreo, 11x 14 Watercolor ©Vivian Cooper 2013

 

This painting was created for a really sweet guy. He wanted to give something special to his long time love for Christmas. He chose to have a portrait of her two fur babies Daisy and Oreo commissioned. He was so excited about it, he would message me on my Facebook Page almost daily to check in on the progress. I absolutely loved his enthusiasm! I wanted so much for this to go well for him. I also thought is was one of the most romantic things ever.

Michael's Kona, 11x14, Acrylic, ©VivianCooper2013

 

I really enjoyed creating this painting. A couple commissioned it for their son to commemorate his completion of Ironman in Kona, Hawaii. For those that don't know, this is a grueling race. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a sweet little 26.2 mile marathon at the end. Michael qualified on his very first try. My husband was jealous. I was so impressed with this guy! He finished with a smile on his face after facing not only a daunting race but many mishaps during the race. He had ITBS (Illiotibial Band Syndrome) issues going in to the race. Then during the swim he was punched and swallowed sea water which of course led to vomiting and dehydration later in the race. To make an even rougher start worse he broke a spoke on his wheel during the bike portion and had to ride 6 miles with his tire rubbing. But he finished with a smile. Now THAT is a true Ironman. Ok I admit, I also enjoyed doing this painting cause the guy was a good looking guy and easy on the eyes. Hey I'm old, not dead.

 

This series of triathlon pictures was specially made for a dentist in Virginia. His wife was a sweetheart. She was very diligent with feedback and really was a true partner in the creation of this series. I really hope he liked them. She contacted me after she received them and let me know she was very pleased.

All 3 are 11x14, Acrylic

 

 

 

I usually shy away from doing realistic portraits of people. An old friend approached me to do one of her dad and I could not say no. He passed last year and she and her sisters wanted to give their mom a one of a kind gift. I knew this man personally. He was a very kind man with a heart of gold and he loved his children and grandchildren with all of his heart. Tear up just thinking of him.

Rushton, 8x10, Watercolor ©VivianCooper2013

The next painting I completed was of my Bulldog Puppy's mom and her companion. Turbo and Jase aka Bo Bo and Phat Phat. The owner's husband contacted me to commission this for her. He knows how much she loves her Bulldogs and was really excited to have a painting created. Currently she is in the process of breeding the two Bulldogs in the painting and hopefully she will have good news soon. If you are interested in a puppy contact me on my Facebook Page and I will give you her contact info.

Turbo and Jase, 11x14 Watercolor, ©VivianCooper2013

The very last commission was of a sweet Black Lab, Duke. He is getting on in years and his mom wanted to have a painting to immortalize him. His mom is a very good hearted woman and one of the best nurses I know. She has worked so hard to provide for and support her family all of her life, I really put an extra splash of love in this one.

Duke, 8x10, Watercolor, ©VivianCooper2013

So as you can see, I was busy busy busy during the last week of October through the first two weeks of December. I was so honored to work with these special people and I hope to work with more in the coming year! Many blessings to y'all in 2014!

                                                                                                                            

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe In the Whole WORLD!

These tender little gems are an annual favorite in the Cooper household. I have tried may sugar cookie recipes but I love this one the best. Made our first of many batches for this season today. Try some for yourself.

Sugar Cookies

1/2 pound unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Triple Sec or other orange liqueur

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

colored sugar for sprinkling

In large mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth. About 2 minutes. Add egg yolks and beat until fluffy 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and Triple Sec. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix beginning on low speed and increase to medium until flour is just incorporated. Do not over mix or you will have tough cookies. Turn dough onto clean surface and divide into 2 portions. Flatten each into a 1 inch thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour at least. Once chilled preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes. Decorate as desired. Bake until golden about 10-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip: You may take the dough scraps and combine and roll again once. Any more than that and your cookies will be tough.

Visions of Sugar Plums

 

One of the best traditions of christmas is the baking and making. Each year I get out my cook books, forgotten sugar crystals falling from the pages, and begin my day long marathon of whipping up Christmas goodies.

I have the standard sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, rum pound cake and pralines. BUT the one thing my hubby looks forward to each year is my Maple Walnut Fudge. Oh man is it GOOD. Creamy maple flavored fudge just melts in your mouth with just the right amount of crunchy walnuts. Perfection. I decided I would share our time honored food tradition with you.

Maple Walnut Fudge

3/4 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar (light or dark)

1 cup white granulated sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

(1) 12oz package white chocolate chips

3 teaspoons maple flavoring

7oz jar marshmallow cream

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Prepare a 13x9x2 pan by lightly greasing with butter

In a large heavy bottomed pan mix together butter, sugar and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Use medium heat because it scorches easily. Boil approximately 5 minutes (238F soft ball stage on candy thermometer) stir constantly. Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate chips until melted. Stir in marshmallow cream, maple flavoring and nuts. Pour into prepared 13x9x2 pan and let cool. Cut fudge once cool and firm. Store in airtight container.

Enjoy!

 

Christmas Memories

Each year I carefully unpack my Christmas ornaments and distant memories stir as I free  little treasures from tissue paper wrappings. This year, among the crumpled paper, bits of tinsel and glitter, I found three ornaments from my childhood.

 

Christmas Memories, Watercolor, 6x11 ©VivianCooper 2013

 

Not just any time of my childhood but the happiest time. A time when my family consisted of just me, my mom and two sisters. We lived in a tiny single wide trailer perched precariously on the side of a hill in Kentucky. It wasn't much but it was the best my mom could provide. Back in the 60's being a single woman living alone with her three kids was not easy but she made do.

Christmas was my mom's favorite time of the year. She would get a real tree and drag it into our tiny trailer filling it with wonderful evergreen scent. Christmas had arrived! Invariably the tree would be too tall or wide. This situation was the perfect opportunity for me to add new "ugly words" to my "list of words not allowed to say" courtesy of my mother's frustration with trimming the tree to fit in the trailer. She had quite the colorful vocabulary back then.

Then the decorating would begin! We draped the branches with huge colorful lights large enough to land airplanes. Ropes of fluffy silver garland wrapped the tree and ornaments made of colorful glass decorated with glitter and paint adorned the branch tips. I thought those ornaments were the most beautiful exotic things ever!

I loved sitting by the tree engulfed in the fresh evergreen scent, basking in the glow of the colorful lights and staring at the beautiful jewel like ornaments. The way the light bounced and reflected from them mesmerized me. The bright cheerful colors made me forget, just for a time, the daily struggles our little family faced. I coveted those round glass globes. They were magic.

Time marched on and things inevitably changed. My mom married a soldier and we moved to North Carolina far from our little trailer on the hill. Later my parents bought a "real" house and our real Christmas tree was replaced by a hard stiff plastic tree that didn't smell like anything natural. The lights became tiny twinkle lights and the glass ornaments replaced by plastic.

Somehow, along the way, I managed to save three of those special jewels from my childhood. These days their colors aren't as bright, painted designs are scratched and faded, the glitter fallen away. But the sweet warm memories of a Christmas long past still glow bright in the reflections of my childhood treasures.

 

Amaryllis Update

Awhile back I wrote about growing an Amaryllis for Christmas. I intend to use it as a model for a floral painting. You can read the original post here.

I am happy to report both are doing well but growing at a very uneven rate. One may be a Christmas flower and the other may hold out until New Years.

I have staked one and I turn it daily. The stalks have tendency to grow toward the sun so it is a good idea to turn them daily to keep them growing straight and tall.

Amaryllis will be blooming by Christmas! I hope.

 

This little guy is taking his sweet time about growing.