Painting My World

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      A spring visit to Banning State Park in Minnesota finally allowed for some good photos of a Northern Waterthrush. I've seen this bird before, but never while it was actively seeking a mate. This handsome male sang frequently from tall pines, which was how I found it, and the Merlin App identified it as a Northern Waterthrush, not a Louisiana Waterthrush. They can be difficult to tell apart on looks alone. It was very active, flying to and fro over the Kettle River along the Quarry Loop Trail where large flat rocks hang over the river – great spots to sit and enjoy all that nature has to offer. During fall migration, Northern Waterthrushes have come through my neck of the woods in mid-August and seem rather friendly, ready to pose for my camera, if only for a short while. Of course, it helps if I’m lucky enough to be outside when they come through. My photo of a Northern Waterthrush at Banning State Park, MN on May 10, 2025. My photo of a N...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      Of all the birds in the world, the Western Meadowlark might rank near the top to qualify for a new name, for it is not a lark. It’s a member of the Icterinae subfamily, i.e. blackbirds.       This well-known grassland bird is the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, North Dakota and Nebraska. In Minnesota, good opportunities to see this bird can be found in the tallgrass prairie biome in the western and southwestern parts of the state. Of all the biomes in Minnesota (tallgrass prairie, tallgrass aspen parkland, hardwood forests and pine forests), the prairie is my favorite.       Each year, I make a point to visit the prairie, usually somewhere I’ve never been before. This year’s visit included Buffalo River State Park (25 mi east of Fargo) and surrounding areas.      With less than 1% of Minnesota’s native prairie still in existence, prospects for the Western Me...

Oil in Panel - 16 x 20 inches.      This is my oil painting of female Bobolink. My photograph of her alongside Dart Road in Minnesota's Sax-Zim Bog in July of 2022 served as my reference.        Below is a poem about Bobolinks written by the distinguished poet William Cullen Bryant in March of 1855. It was published in Putnam's Magazine that same year. Punctuation, spelling and grammar were left unchanged. ROBERT OF LINCOLN. Merrily swinging on brier and weed,    Near to the nest of his little dame, Over the mountain-side or mead,    Robert of Lincoln is telling his name :       Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,       Spink, spank, spink ; Snug and safe is that nest of ours, Hidden among the summer flowers.                   Chee, chee, chee. Robert of Lincoln is gayly drest,    Wearing a bright black wedding-coat ; White are his shoulders and white hi...