yellow-bellied sunbird
. . . also known as the Olive-backed Sunbird!
I just added this tiny jewel of a bird as a new 8x10 print to my shop.
Yellow-bellied Sunbird with Bell flowers
8x10 inch print
by Tina Burke
(I'm struggling a little to get my Etsy visuals to match the clean colours of the prints — on my monitor this is a better reproduction!).
I'm hoping to go for some long walks this weekend and enjoy the spring blooms and some more colourful inspiration. The lilacs are in full bloom, the peonies are about to explode, and the bird life is back . . . happy sigh . . .
olive-backed sunbird
olive-backed sunbird
by Tina Burke
acrylic on Arches watercolour paper, 14x10"
... also known as a Yellow-Bellied Sunbird, found in areas from Southern Asia to Australia. I remember the first time I saw a sunbird in Australia I was surprised how little it was - so tiny and fragile looking, like a hummingbird.
This is a male - they have a vivid blue-black metallic sheen on their throat and forehead. As is often the case, they are fancier than the female. She has a yellow belly and throat, with the brownish-olive coloured head and back, but no shiny bling.
work in progress
I've been having the most wonderful week, involving a lot of glorious mess. As much as I love drawing, it is SO MUCH FUN to pull out my paints and work in colour again.
I'm working in acrylics on watercolour paper (Arches Hot Press block). It's hard to find tropical flowers in these parts, especially in the Fall, so I went to Allan Gardens to find some inspiration. The bird is an olive-backed sunbird, one of the birds I saw at the ROM last week.
My aim is to have it finished in order to submit it to the Society of Animal Artists - application for membership is due by October 23rd, for anyone who may be interested.
I'm just tweaking this piece and all going well, will post the finished painting soon ...
