Painting My World

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      An appropriately named bird, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is considered a long-distance migrant if it's found in the upper reaches of the United States and southern Ontario. However, this bird can also reside year-round along the southern border of the U.S. I wasn’t expecting to find this bird in good numbers at Whitewater State Park in Minnesota, but after familiarizing myself with its song, I heard it on several occasions during my long weekend trip to the Driftless Area.       This particular breeding male (females and nonbreeding gnatcatchers don’t have black eyebrows) was busy feeding and singing, and interacting with other birds. I didn’t see a female around, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t one nearby. It’s not often that I revisit a trail on a birding trip, but because the Meadow Trail was teeming with a lot of birds, I returned the following day. In this same area, I was also captivated by a pair of Eastern Phoe...

34th Annual International Miniature Show July 1 - August 1, 2026 Parklane Gallery 130 Park Lane Kirkland, WA 98033 425-827-1462.  Showing two American Robins.

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches     This is my most recent oil painting. It is a Spotted Sandpiper.  One of the greatest mysteries of the world is why the Spotted Sandpiper bobs its tail so much. No one knows, not even the smartest ornithologists on the planet. But if you see a bird bobbing its tail over and over while strutting along just about any body of water, it’s most likely a Spotted Sandpiper.      These birds have some additional interesting characteristics in that they don’t follow the general rules of thumb compared to most birds. The male incubates and takes care of the chicks while the female defends her territory which usually consists of up to three different males and their nests. She's got a lot of eggs to lay!     Spotted Sandpipers have a wide distribution, they can be found throughout the United States and well into Canada during the breeding season. They’re migrating now from Central and South America. So if you’re out and about, ...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      This is my oil painting of a female Common Goldeneye, a diving duck.      An interesting fact about this bird is that it sometimes lays its eggs in other goldeneyes' nests. In other words, this duck exhibits conspecific (same species) brood parasitism, an alternate form of breeding.      Just how these birds pick which nests to parasitize has been studied, and it turns out these birds care more about the characteristics of the nests than who they belong to – just as long as they are another Common Goldeneye's.      Successful nests that are used year after year are recognized by female goldeneyes and given priority in June and early July, after the broods have left for the season. The following year, the earlier these nests can be parasitized, the higher the probability of chick survival rates.      Stay wild, my friends. References Paasivaara, A., Rutila, J., Poysa, H., & ...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      Here I have painted a Ring-necked Duck in a less complex style than usual. The hard edge of the water meets a tan-colored background void of complicated brush strokes and detail. The bird is simplified, yet the attentiveness given to this painting was no less measured.       When I paint birds, I like to learn about them, too. On January 15, 2021, I photographed this handsome fellow in the icy waters of Agate Bay in Two Harbors, MN. Besides the overall coloring indicating it was a male, the tan and gray feathers on the side of its belly designated it as nonbreeding. At the time, I didn’t know that. My intuition told me that no birds breed in Minnesota during the wintertime, so its breeding capability, or lack thereof, never crossed my mind; but isn’t it great when a bird’s feathers have something to say besides determining its sex? I think so.       Diving for food in frigid Lake Superior, this duck ...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      Once in fear of going extinct due to their rate of decline in the 20th century, Buffleheads have weathered threats to their survival. Recent data from Ducks Unlimited’s website shows almost a quarter of a million Buffleheads were killed each hunting season from 2019-2022, with Michigan, Wisconsin and California possessing the highest harvest rates. Currently, they are a species of low concern per the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.       Sometimes called Butterballs due to packing on so much weight, these ducks have the distinction of being North America’s smallest diving duck. During breeding, which occurs mainly in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, females nest in tree cavities excavated by Northern Flickers or Pileated Woodpeckers. Since tree cavities are in high demand – around 85 species of North American birds are known to use tree cavities as nesting sites – it’s a good thing that Buffleheads accept human-mad...

24 x 24 inches - Oil on Belgian Linen      Broken records, trusses, and trees.       The winter of 2022/23 was a tough year. Snowfall amounts were extraordinary and broke records with 104.1 inches in one season. Our garage’s trusses broke, too, and the rooftop caved in under the weight of the snow. Young jack pines, ones that we’d planted seven years prior, bent and broke, and it was the first time I’d ever seen upright tree cages that looked perfectly normal at eye level squashed at the bottom, resulting in tangled messes of heavy wire compressed like accordions. Heavy snow will have its way.  Jack pine damage from snow weight. Photo taken May 10, 2023 at my home in Duluth, MN.      Spring joyously arrived and brought my first sightings of snowshoe hares to my yard. They’re one of those animals I thought I’d never see. Why haven’t I seen them before? I was lucky enough not to assume they’d stick around (they didn’t), so I got phot...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches The paragraph below is from “The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America” by Matt Kracht, a book that pokes fun at birds, often with edgy, disparaging and colorful language that is meant to be humorous.  Scarlet Teenager  Common Name: Scarlet Tanager  What is it with these tanagers? The males are possibly the most unnecessarily red birds in any eastern forest. They stay high in the forest canopy all summer long (doing god knows what) and then in the fall they just take off for South America. But not before inexplicably changing from red feathers to yellow-green feathers (which, by the way, makes them look just like the yellow-green females). I don’t know what they’re up to, but I don’t like it and somebody ought to do something about it.  -Matt Kracht My photo taken May 17, 2025, Moose Lake, MN. Note the yellow-green patch still on this bird's belly, remnants of its winter plumage. ©Becca Mulenburg Stay wild, my friends! Reference Kra...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      Who doesn’t love hummingbirds? After spending a fair amount of time figuring out my next painting, I took a break and started photographing hummingbirds a few weeks ago. And then I went through some old photographs of mine and chose to paint this one. This Ruby-throated Hummingbird is sitting on a Diabolo Ninebark branch, one of my favorite shrubs.       Male hummingbirds have begun their migration, I haven’t seen one in a while. The females and their offspring remain, but their days are numbered. Soon, they will be gone, too, on their way to Central America and the southern tip of Florida.       I am primarily a non-fiction reader, and the best book I’ve ever read about birds – in this case hummingbirds –  is Fastest Things on Wings by Terry Masear. When those northerly winds start to chill your bones and the snow keeps you inside, I highly recommend snuggling up with this book. You won’t be d...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      I subscribe to a small number of birding magazines and keep a record of articles about bird species. The most recent one in my collection about this bird, the Blackpoll Warbler, is from Living Bird’s 2024 winter issue. In one single night, 954 birds died after flying into the McCormick Place building in Chicago during a massive migration event on the night of October 4, 2023. Blackpolls were among the dead.       Fall migration is now in full swing, and it is dangerous, no doubt. Blackpoll Warblers carry the distinction of traveling further than any other warbler during migration – a whopping 1,800 miles from the Atlantic Coast to Columbia’s northern coast. And when they get to South America, they are greeted with the rainy season and large numbers of caterpillars to feast upon.       Sadly, these birds are in steep decline, losing approximately 71-90% of their population in the last 50-60 years. I...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      A female Scarlet Tanager visited my yard this past May and provided an opportunity for some great photos which were used as reference for this painting. Usually, I spot them during the fall migration.       One of the biggest characteristics of this bird is that it looks nothing like its bright, red, male counterpart. This trait is known as sexual dichromatism. It’s obvious the naming of this bird was born from observing the males versus females.       Scarlet Tanagers are known to exhibit active anting behavior whereby they'll pick up ants with their beaks and rub them on their feathers. It’s believed that formic acid contained in specific ant species helps deter ectoparasites such as bird lice. Two ants, Lasius (Acanthomyops) claviger and Lasius (Chthonolasius) umbratus, have been observed in use by Scarlet Tanagers. With over 12,000 species of ants in the world, one might surmise there are more sp...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      Hooded Mergansers are infrequent visitors, but I have seen males, females and juveniles on our pond over the years. This female was spotted on June 3rd, a date that coincides with the time of year that crabapple trees drop their pink petals. I watched this lone duck dive for food, preen, swim and sleep for a short while.       These cavity nesters are known to be rather secretive, so even if I went searching for its nest, perhaps in an old Pileated Woodpecker hole – to which we have a few, especially in aged/dead birch trees – Mergansers aren’t known to reveal themselves very easily.       I’ve been busy painting and finished a couple of larger works which are currently drying. Miniatures have been completed for the annual MPSGS International Miniature Show coming up in November. These and more are waiting in the wings for future postings.       Spring came and went rather quickly...

4 x 4 inches - Oil on Panel      This is my oil painting of a Common Raven.       In 2003, Vladimir Putin visited the Tower of London in the UK, a legendary castle that employs a Ravenmaster to care for a minimum of six ravens whose sole purpose is to prevent the Tower from crumbling and the kingdom from suffering great harm should they, the ravens, ever leave. It’s quite a superstition, but the Brits take it seriously.       During Putin’s visit, he was greeted by a 12-year old raven named Thor who was perched on the steps that lead up to the White Tower. Thor said “Good morning” to the Russian president. It wasn’t an unusual reception, Thor was known to greet anybody; but what the president thought about the raven’s greeting is unknown. One source described Putin as being “taken aback”.       There are all sorts of stories about ravens being harbingers of death or impending doom, so it might be interesting to k...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches            Last year, Red Crossbills visited my feeders containing black oil sunflower seeds between May 15 and May 28th. Those sightings remain the only time I've seen these perfectly-named birds.       Compared to most birds, there’s a lot more to learn about Red Crossbills. The following paragraph taken from allaboutbirds.org [accessed Feb. 10, 2025] summarizes this bird well.       "Traditionally considered a single species of multiple races, Loxia curvirostra may actually comprise more than half a dozen separate species—each of them showing a mix of traits so close to the others that they are inseparable in the field. Even taxonomists with specimens in the hand are often uncertain of what they have. Birds of different bill sizes and shapes apparently prefer different conifer species (the smallest types feeding on hemlocks, the largest on white pines), but the differences must be measur...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches      This is a black and white (sort of) oil painting of an Eastern Phoebe. A trip to William O’Brien State Park last September brought windy and hot conditions for a six-mile birding walk. I spotted this bird along the Wedge Hill Savanna Trail perched on a branch over water, sallying for bugs.       I remember that day well. It was too windy for decent birding, and the temperatures were between 76-80˚ F. For me, that’s hot; and without the wind, I wouldn’t have walked as far as I had. Oftentimes, when I see a bird by itself, especially during migration, I often wonder about its circumstances. Eastern Phoebes leave Minnesota for warmer climes in the fall. How far would this one travel? Why was it alone? Was it a male or female? Was it cursing the wind like I was? Perhaps bugs were easier to catch on windy days. Maybe they have less control in the wind, making them easier prey. Or maybe they’re harder to find, hunkered down o...

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...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches.      This male Mourning Warbler was one of my highlights in 2024. First heard and spotted on May 28th, it sang loudly over the course of 2-3 weeks in one corner of my woods. I never spotted the female, but I suspect she was around due to the longevity of the male’s presence. The last date I heard the male singing was July 1st.       Mourning Warblers require heterogeneous second-growth forests. The shrubby hillside area where this bird hung out contains quaking aspens, crabapples, birches, a young red oak, a scotch pine, red and white pines, spruce, diamond and pussy willows, and neighboring European buckthorn. Generally, the area is clear of a dense understory; large-leaved asters cover a fair portion of nearby sunny spots. A small brush pile, a large pine needle pile, and a fallen spruce skirt the edges where this bird lingered. Part of the space was once completely covered with invasive common tansy. Having removed 99% o...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches.      Just before the arrival of spring in 2018, American Crows were creating a ruckus outside of my window while I was eating breakfast. Never one to miss an opportunity to explore the reason why crows are in a tizzy, the commotion led me to observe this Great Gray Owl perched in a tree just feet away from my house. It stayed low in the branches and slowly moved southbound from tree to tree. By the time I got dressed for the outdoors, the owl was perched across the road in a dense thicket, well hidden. The crows had moved on by then. The silence of the winter’s morning, except for a passerby or two, left me alone with this beautiful owl, and I was able to snap some decent photographs.       My yard has its share of voles, one of this bird’s favorite food. Vole tunnels abound and are especially visible after the first snowfall of the season, as long as it’s a light snowfall. One or two inches of snow will oftentimes display...

Oil on Panel - 4 x 4 inches.      This is an oil painting of a female Brewer’s Blackbird, a species of bird quite unfamiliar to me. I am grateful for the research available, there’s always more to learn!       Depending on what part of the country you live in, these birds can be common and perhaps a nuisance as they await alongside humans for the opening of big box stores. In Seattle, for instance, once the doors open at a mega-superstore, they fly in to seek shelter from the elements or to score crumbs off the floor from its indoor café.       My experience with Brewer’s Blackbirds is very different. I’ve never seen them waiting for stores to open, let alone hanging out anywhere near them in my area. The invasive House Sparrow makes up for that. But on July 5th, I observed two female Brewer's Blackbirds tending to a nesting site in Sax-Zim Bog in northern Minnesota, a location far from urbanization.       The tw...