A Big December Post

Ok, this blog has been abandoned lately, and it's one of my New Year's resolutions to be consistent with postings. Also, I wish everyone a very happy Holiday Season and a peaceful and prosperous New Year! Here are some of my December paintings - they're all about winter and snow.

"Hey, guys, leave something for me!"


Slowly painting these mittens was some sort of meditation to me:)

This birdie is flying to the new home tomorrow!

Everything cozy: coffee, cookies and Teddy bears:)

GIVEAWAY - A Custom Pet Portrait (Cat or Dog)!

I'm running a Giveaway on my Facebook Fan Page! Click here to see the rules and participate.
Wishing you a good luck! The winner will be announced on my fan page on Aug 18th 12pm EST.

And here's one of my new pieces, a tiny hummingbird. Approx. 8x8'' on Sennelier watercolor paper.

Baby Chick

5''x7'' on Arches watercolor paper

Spring is time for birds

My favorite paper for painting birds so far is Sennelier Grain Torchon. I'm already finishing my 20 sheets block and going to restock on it. Very pleased with the surface and colors staying intense when dry. It also holds water very well. I personally wouldn't use this paper for big wet on wet paintings, but for small, illustration kind of work it's a keeper!




Btw, I've added three new bird prints in my Etsy shop.

Craving for snow

Unbelievable how fast time is flying by! It's winter already and I'm trying my best to feel the holiday season vibe (which personally is so not easy to do when living in a snowless place). Having been raised in the continental part of Russia, I crave for snow every year when the jingle bells start to ring. That being said, here's my top three to boost the holiday mood:

1. Watch "snowy" movies.
2. Go to Pinterest - an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
3. Last, but not least: if you can't have it, paint it!

When I was little, my grandfather would hang self-made bird feeders in front of the kitchen window. The winters were cold so those feeders would get pretty busy. Watching birds kept me entertained for hours, especially when beautiful bullfinches were coming over. They were my very favorite.



Another cute bird that reminds me of snow is Cardinal, which is more common in the US.



Both of these paintings are available on my Etsy shop. It's time to stock up on Christmas gifts! Consider giving original bird art this holiday season!

Little Bird

A new watercolor birdie in my Etsy shop Inspired by cute Lazuli Bunting - a North American song bird.

A sneak peek into my watercolor storage book

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Winter birdies

What do you think of when I say winter? Here is the list of things that pop into my head:
A lot of fluffy, sparkling snow
Winter holidays and waiting for a miracle
Ice skating and downhill skiing
Cozy evenings at home with a cup of hot tea and homemade cookies
Bright and clear stars in the night sky
Cold mornings and frost patterns on a window
Puffed-up birdies and snowflakes falling softly

Chenoa the owl

If you ever find yourself in the university town of Eugene, Oregon, I would highly recommend spending some time at Cascades Raptor Center. My husband and I were really excited about visiting that wildlife hospital specializing in raptor rehabilitation and release. A lot of birds of different species found their loving foster home there after being orphaned or injured. And each one of them has a personal story.
For me, the most surprising resident was a magpie named Miri, which had been illegally raised and imprinted on humans. Unable to survive in the wild, that cute little bird is totally socialized to people. Every time we happened to be around her big cage, she tried to get as close to us as she could. It was so touching and sad at the same time.
And of course, it's impossible not to mention about amazing owls, which are very plenty at CRC. As soon as I saw beautiful and mysterious Chenoa, a Northern Spotted owl, I decided to make her an object for my watercolor painting.
16''x12'' on Arches watercolor paper

Winter owl

Winter is going on which means time for birds to fluff out their feathers :)
9'' x 7'' on Arches watercolor paper

Holiday Season

I wish all of us a very happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with inspiration and creativity!
Thank you so much for reading my blog and for all your warm comments. There are no words to say how much I appreciate your encouragement. Looking forward to keep communicating with you in the year to come. May peace, love and prosperity follow you and your loved ones always!

Christmas magnet

There remain a few days before Christmas, can you believe this? It's time to make up something for a festive mood! I created a birdie magnet for my Zazzle store and I like the product they sent me back. Thanks to this magnet my ordinary fridge has now got a holiday appearance:) Here are some pictures of magnet I made recently.
Hope you have a wonderful time in anticipation of Christmas!

Sketching in the park

Yesterday I had wonderful time with my husband in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park here in Reno. The park was such an eye-candy: fall has painted the trees in beautiful bright colors and the air was crisp and clear. It was a perfect chance to enjoy the moment with a sketchbook in my hands. To my utter joy, there happened to be a lot of canada geese pasturing on autumn grass. I felt so great walking close to the wild nature! Finally, I was lucky enough to have one of geese posing for me long enough to make a sketch :)




My husband took this picture as I was sketching some scene

Bullfinches - SOLD