I paint a lot of sparrows.  Most avian art depicts flashier subjects — the warblers, the orioles, the hummingbirds, and other celebrities of the birding world.  But I love the Emberizids and their earthen colours, and the subtle patterns of their mantles, and even their shy, skulking natures.  Even if I’m awful at telling them all apart.

Song Sparrow

I started this painting in late August, when the back country roads I take to work were thickly edged with blooming chicory and the feathery heads of brome grass.  But late fall is really the season for sparrows, when most other migrants have already departed and the landscape reflects the dry browns and greys of these birds.  Most people dislike this time of year, bookended between the vibrant hues of autumn leaves and the purity of winter snows, but I find it artistically engaging.  Now, the little brown jobs are in their element.

Fox Sparrow, Guelph Arboretum