The Painting of a Chipping Sparrow```By MysticSilks

We began with a blank canvas, of course,covered it with white gesso.

Then I used a photo of a Chipping Sparrow perched on a branch of cherry blossoms.

Most of the background had been blurred,so that all the eye could see was a pink and green mist, then the sparrow perched upon the cherry branch.

I added a pale sun in the upper right hand corner of the painting: I seldom see a sun in a painting.

A strange idea crossed my mind in that there are plenty of paintings with a full moon, and different phases of the moon.

So in a thousand years , if people are still about, they will know of the moon. But perhaps they will wonder why so few paintings with a sun? So, I painted in the pale sun.

Painting the body of the bird was not as much of a challenge as painting the details of the head. You see in one photo where the head has yet to be painted on the body of the bird: I studied the photo of the head for many days and went back for five days adding a contrast here and there;making sure the eye had the light of life in it.

After I was pretty much finished, and I use that phrase, because I have the tendency to go back again and again, adding a touch of color , changing an angle, adding another leaf, or flower. I attached a real bird feather to the lower right hand corner of the painting, then photographed the painting. The feather looked so in its place, that I actually painted a feather in that corner.

I'd say I am pretty satisfied.

This painting is for sale on: http:mysticsilks.etsy.com/

Thank you for reading--:)