The Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove, 8 x 10 inches, Oil on Board

Wow- this piece was really a labor of love.  I tried many days to get this painting to completion and had nothing but problems.  This happens when you really don't know what you want to paint...or you have a unclear, fuzzy photo reference.  

This give and take started when I looked out my living room window to check on my bird feeders and noticed a most charming neighborhood Mourning Dove perched on a tree limb.  Of course I snapped it's picture with my phone followed by going upstairs to get my real camera.  When I got back to the window, this adorable creature moved on.

So I tried to make the best of a bad picture and it sure took a long time.  I'm pleased with the outcome and I've learned quite a bit from this painting.  Did I say it's the same lesson I learned pretty early in my artist journey:  You can only paint what you can see!