Toucan Play at that Game

 

Well things are pretty freezing around here. A water pipe burst the other day and soaked into a carpet. Oh Joy! After soaking up the water with about a hundred towels I spent several hours trying to dry it out with a hairdryer to no avail. Now I keep the room at the temperature of a tropical rainforest in an attempt to dry it out. I'm as redfaced as a prune and living in a sauna. Save me!

So while we are bracing ourselves for another pelting of snow we should I suppose count ourselves lucky that we do not live in Boston which has been hit the worst.

Actually I don't really mind snow all that much. As far as I am concerned it just gives me carte blanche to loll around all day in my jammies watching terrible television like Dance Moms and stuffing my face with chocolate hob nobs. Nobody can really expect you to work if it involves driving if there is heavy snow so I like to take it easy on snow days although I do get a tad claustrophobic at some point and need to take a brisk walk outside in the slush.

Did you know that on the other side of the world it's  CARNAVAL in Brazil !!! Yes, sequins, platform heels and the biggest party in the world !! The nature art group I am part of had this as a theme. So I put on my party hat and put on some Samba music - and got out my watercolors and acrylic inks !!

I ended up with this lively bunch of two macaws and a toucan which I titled 'Toucan Play at that Game.' When I first started painting it the paint started dripping which I didn't mind so I kept adding lots of drips to create a pretty pattern.

I'm sure you'll agree these birds are pumped up and ready to PARTAY!

And now I am linking them up to Paint Party Friday so come join the fun.


birds art for sale

toucan art for sale

Jacutinga Birds

This week I found inspiration in the endangered Jacutinga or Black-fronted Piping Guan (Pipile jacutinga). Such a visually arresting bird with such colorful markings and expressive eyes. I couldn't wait to get started!

I started painting this with watercolor but then I felt it needed a little extra pizzazz so I dripped some ink onto the damp surface and loved the way the ink formed a criss-cross pattern like a batik.

Also I'm very excited because my friend Vicki who writes a fun, stylish blog called Honest Mum has featured my cushions on her blog. She and her sons are the perfect models against my colorful cushions that will make your room POP! Do go over and check out her feature and enter the competition to win the cushions here.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday!