Saturday, July 11, 2009

McDonald Marsh

Yesterday my DB and I drove to Muscatatuck National Wildife Refuge to try for a couple of immature White Ibis that had been sighted there. We were of course a day late getting there since I had to work extra this week and the birds didn't turn up for us. However we had a nice tour of this NWR that is a 2.5hr drive from our house. I have only been there one other time and that was during winter. It is a lovely place. We sat here, by McDonald Marsh, watching for the birds to come in. They didn't but we did have two different kinds of turtles, Racoon, White-tailed Deer, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, and Killdeer. Dragonflies were also abundant. More about them later.

I had my trusty little travel set of watercolors and my sketchbook so I kept myself busy. I didn't have a decent size brush. I must get a regular sized brush to keep in this set. I used the largest of the tiny brushes that came with the set. While it did ok I just wasn't used to using it. I hope you all have a great weekend and get to see lots of wildlife.

17 comments:

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

This looks like a fun day you had. All that beauty and Art. Thanks for sharing.

Teri said...

That was a neat way to pass the time. I love how you did this.

Have you ever tried those water-filled brushes? That's what I use. they are bigger than the ones that come with the set but not by much.

soulbrush said...

what a lovely outing you had, the only wild life i will see around here is snuffles...teehee.

marianne said...

You didn't see the white Ibis but you sure saw a lot of other wildlife I only see in Zoos.
Guess it must have been a worthwhile trip after all.
Great painting you made Lisa!

have a nice weekend!

ArtistUnplugged said...

Sounds like a nice visit with Mother Nature....your watercolor is very, very nice!

PAK ART said...

I rarely paint en plein air - did I say that right? I want to do more of it though. what you did was very nice, feels like I'm right there with you seeing the turtles, deer and heron.

Lynn Cohen said...

this is absolutely lovely Lisa.
I want to be able to do this outdoor painting/sketching/drawing too. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement from seeing yours so well done.

Mim said...

That's a lovely picture, so serene

SandyCarlson said...

I would love to watch you create. I marvel at what you do. Sounds like a great trip out with plenty of ambassadors to keep you company!

Susan English Mason said...

You are very talented watercolor painter. There are lots of details in this rendering and the colors are vivid and lively.

Julie said...

Lisa...how neat an area this sounds to be! I'm glad you got to go out! I like how you ended your post with hoping everyone gets to see a lot of wildlife this weekend! I think I may head out to a great place to observe some myself...and take photos! I came up to my driveway this morning after a shopping trip, and guess what was standing in my neighbors drive??? A hawk. That was so cool. A bluejay was chasing him around and we watched them both fly into a tree and and then away!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful..

Margaret Ann said...

Sooooo lush...what a treat! :)

Chubskulit Rose said...

wow, you are sooo gifted!

yoon see said...

Wow! I really adore you, we don't have MacDonald Marsh here.
Very peaceful and lovely green green setting! You must have a great time there!
And you took time to picture it! Very careful & smart painting!

BT said...

What a pity you didn't see the ibis, maybe another time. I love how you painted while you were there. Maybe Teri's suggestion is one to try?

Unknown said...

what a divine day you had! To sit in nature and paint! Hope you catch sight of that dastardly bird next time! I Love Ibis, oh and cows and all animals actually, so keep painting them for me ok?