What I've been up to since the last time

 Well I have been working on many different projects since my last blog post. Thought I would share some of the projects that have consumed my time and energy.

Between the yard work, baking our bread, and just general life chores I have been working on a new series of drawings. These are drawing my creatvity from local species which I have a definite connection. 

The first is completed. The Red Shouldered Hawk that made our woods a hunting territory. It did result in a few less of our feeder birds. The poor mourning dove just don't move fast enough. In researching the hawk I found some interesting facts. Their eyesight is so acute that can discern the urine tracks of critters from extreme heights.

Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Red-shouldered Hawks are medium-sized slender buteos, larger than Broad-wings but smaller than Red-tails. They have body lengths of 18 to 24 inches and wingspans of 3 1/2 to 4 feet. Their backs are brown, flecked with white, and their shoulders are rufous. Immature birds have brown teardrop-shaped streaks on their white breasts; adults have pale robin-red underparts.

Red-shouldered Hawks inhabit low, wet, open woodlands usually near a river, stream or swamp. We have an open area near us and within a a half mile of our home is the Muskegon Lake Snug Harbor area. They prey upon the wide variety of animal life found there: small mammals, frogs, snakes, lizards, insects and birds. Hawks have excellent eyesight. They can see up to 8 times more clearly than the sharpest human eye. Eyesight is primarily used for hunting. Hawks can see colors, like most humans can, as well as those in the ultraviolet range. This means that the hawks can perceive colors that humans cannot see.

Some Red-shoulders remain resident in Michigan year round, but most migrate southward as winter approaches. They were once common here, but loss of their preferred habitat and other factors not yet clearly identified have reduced their numbers. At present they are considered endangered in the state.

The work measures 14w x 16h inches and is completed in Prismacolor inks of various pen sizes. The next drawing is the Pileated Woodpecker a current work in progress. It has been placed on hold as I work on this Christmas card. 

 

 

 

 

The Christmas card has the pencil work completed and the inking will soon begin. Here is just a small peak at a portion of the card.

 

This is a very small portion of the card in rough pencil.