New Color Out There...

American Robins were having a feeding

frenzy around the studio and yard this morning!

(Click on image for a larger view)

What a busy last couple days here!  Our fist good rain sine June of last year!  We got 2.5" on Tuesday through yesterday, then 4 inches of snow this morning...we were lucky here as we didn't get very much ice.  Those further north and west are really cleaning out of a mess, lots of trees and limbs and power lines down.  We did get covered with pea size hail on Tuesday afternoon, but it melts down to usable moisture just the same!

Even the House Finches are gettin' drop dead gorgeous!

(Click on image for a larger view)

I haven't gotten much done this day except take bird pictures!  Leave it to a snow storm in the spring to bring the hoards in to the feeders!  It is fun to watch and the snow will be gone in a couple days...its spring as usual around here!

Enjoy, it'll soon be hot and humid in the shade!

 

 

Nice Respite!

(Detail from pencil study "Spring Song, American Robin")

© Bruce A. Morrison

 What a great week of weather - a nice respite from the past couple months!  Word's out that we're heading back to "normal" winter stuff, but that's OK - we've been doing alright!

We had our first Robins of spring in the yard here yesterday!  That's kind of a nice shot in the arm for spring fever!  American Robins are always welcome, but there have been population pockets just a few miles south of us, along the Little Sioux River valley all winter...in fact the past few winters.  That didn't used to happen but about a decade or so ago the Waterman Prairie area and south, along the river, began holding flocks of Robins, Cedar Waxwings, and Eastern Bluebirds through the winter months.  They apparently live off of the Eastern Red Cedar berries for one thing.   But I still think of Robins as a harbinger of spring, if not only for old time's sake!

I don't know if I ever posted the image at the blog header before or not? (I'm pretty certain I have.)   It's a detail from a large graphite piece I did years back.  You can view the whole piece by clicking on the small image below of the entire rendering.

"Spring Song, American Robin"

pencil original © Bruce A. Morrison

(from a private collection)

Another wonderful development the past few weeks is a pair of Bald Eagles have built a nest south of here!  We're holding our breath in hopes they'll stay and actually use it; a pair had built a nest just 1 mile south of us along Waterman Creek 3 years ago, but they abandoned it after a couple months.  Hopefully this pair will follow through.

I guess we're not the only ones in the neighborhood with spring fever!

Just wanted to make mention - in the last blog I said I was going to begin a newsletter...a marketing effort on my part from the studio here.  It will be an informative bimonthly newsletter, to keep my collectors, and folks interested in my work, abreast of the newest and latest work, projects, insight on works and subject matter, as well as exhibits and events I can be found at.  You may sign up for the newsletter on my web site...you only need provide your e-mail address...the form to sign up is on this page - http://www.morrisons-studio.com/Newsletter%20page.htm or just click on "Newsletter" in the header of the web site.  Thank you!

Take in some sunshine today and enjoy!