One little Bird...and a few random thoughts

The last month or so I've been watching this bird. I can't help but watch this bird, since she decided to plant her nest on my garage, right outside my kitchen window. At first I thought, "You are one dumb bird for putting your nest there" I have a very active yard, there are my kids, neighbor kids, dogs, cats, all kinds of commotion. But time passed and I kept watching her. I then started to think, "Boy you are one smart bird for putting your nest there." For one thing, she's sheltered under the roof line, and she's not being bothered by other birds and squirrels. I also watched her go through two pretty good storms. The babies are now born, and it looks like three little mouths are popping up at feeding time. I've been thinking about how simple it all appears. The mom and dad taking shifts to feed their babies. Her sitting on the nest, maybe him too? I like watching the simplicity. Life just feels complicated these days. From all this social networking (as I too sit here and participate) to I phones, I pads, 3d TV's, to the stuff that fills your brain on a daily basis. Thank God for vacations! I suppose anyone who grew up in a time, when you didn't have to pay for TV, and a phone was just a phone, knows what I'm talking about. So watching this bird seems to have calmed me down a bit. Today I thought I would do a quick sketch of this Robin, sitting in her nest.

I had thought a few day back that I would take a photo, and then do a pretty color drawing. Yet to do that would be the way I usually work, or if I’m not using photo's for reference, then I am drawing from what's in my head--that stuff comes easy and natural. The IF linked (below) came real easy. Yeah, the hard stuff for me is the sketching from real life! There is nothing more frustrating! All you have to do is look at this post of my Robin, to know how much I struggled with sketching--quite frankly I suck! lol. I really could use more practice, which is why I decided to draw from life today.

I like to visit Lynne Chapman's blog-an Illustrator's life for me.  Now she is a sketcher! I even put wording on the my picture, like she does, hope she doesn't mind that I copied her idea, but I think it's cool. If you haven't seen Lynne's blog, you should really check it out. She's amazing! I have her link under blogs I like.

So if anyone has any thoughts on sketching, or what inspires you. I would love to hear what you have to say.

As for me, this little Robin has been my muse this past month. I hope the babies don't fall out onto the cement below, or to the side of the fence which houses the dogs.

I will keep the faith that it will all be okay.