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This past week was "Bird Art Week" over on Instagram, hosted by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (@cornellbirds). Each morning they posted a "prompt" or theme for that day, with a specific hashtag, then bird-lovers around the world could post their avian art using that tag.
As I enjoy painting local birds and wildlife, I participated in each day of this art challenge.
Sunday started with #SketchThatBird, Monday we moved on to #MoonlitMigrators, Tuesday's happening was #HillariousAsFlock, Wednesday arrived with #AquaticAvians, Thursday saw #SpectacularSongs, Friday pulled #PollenOnTheWing, and Saturday unrolled with #UrbanBirds.
It was fun to look back at some of the bird sketches and paintings that I've created, and a reminder that I should think about doing more of them now that the weather has gotten quite cold. I've noticed that many of the birds tend to stay on our birdfeeders for longer periods during colder weather, in particular the beautiful Northern cardinals and the Downy and Hairy woodpeckers.
Here are a few of the images I shared as part of Bird Art Week - enjoy!

Some of these were quick watercolour sketches, other pencil sketches, ad a few were studio paintings. Which do you prefer?