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Oil and Acrylic Painting featuring Landscapes, Nature, and Wildlife
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This site introduces to the world the art of George Van Humbeck, artist, painter, naturalist, and teacher. Besides visual links to his art this site also gives details about the process of creating fine works of art for the artist community, beginner or advanced, acrylic or oil painting. 

The Early Bird,

American Robin

2018

Acrylic on Panel

19.75 x 10

The Early Bird small.jpg

Yes, composition ideas are as close as your backyard, but they are also in your front yard. When we moved to our existing home the front yard had two mountain ash trees. Both were badly in need of some care. After several years, with one gone and the other one soon to join it, I decided to wait for one last bloom before cutting it down.

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The mountain ash is a great tree for attracting birds especially in the fall when its berries have ripened. They seemed to be the favourite of the waxwings and the robins. Since it was the spring and the tree in bloom I wanted to paint, I chose the American robin, the early bird of the season (Too early for the berries as well).

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With barely one season of life left I ventured out that spring with my camera and my daughter into the rain. I took several photographs before deciding on a particular arrangement for the composition.  I'm sure you can appreciated how often artists need to use several reference photos or artistic license to create a successful composition. Well this was an opportunity I was willing to exploit. So with the quick use of a saw and my daughter with one hand holding the umbrella over me and the camera and the other hand strategically holding the branch I cut, I was able to mould the scene I wanted.

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This was the first time I painted raindrops.

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