Common Loon and Northern Harrier at the Maritime Center

Watercolor on an acrylic-prepared background, in a Stillman & Birn Alpha Hardbound sketchbook. Painted on location at Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk CT.

I know you're thinking, "Wait a minute! Those aren't fish! What are they doing in an aquarium sketch?"

Okay, you're right. But after sketching the turtles and fish that I posted yesterday, who all swam by so fast that everything looked blurry by the time I was finished, I was up for something still. And these were in a glass case. Dead. You can't get much more still than that. Besides, I have been very interested in sketching birds lately. This gave me an opportunity to do some up close work from life without them moving around or flying away. These two certainly weren't going anywhere.

I generally mix most of my colors, but I truly missed the convenience of having Payne's Gray and Sepia at my disposal. Neither is in my tiny travel palette. I think I'm going to have to find a way to oust two colors so that I can have those when I sketch. In addition to whole pans and half pans for watercolor, somebody should make quarter pans!