A Bird in the Hand

Finished this drawing of the Spoonbill.  I used a different
brand of pencil on this one.  I have always and only
used Prismacolors (for over 20 years).  But
lately, their quality has changed.  The leads break
very easily, and the whole pencil is used up just
trying to sharpen it.

I have enjoyed a page on Facebook called
CPAL (colored pencil artists) and many of them are
using a brand of pencil called Polychromos.  So, I
decided to try some of them.

They are similar to the Prismas, but the lead is much stronger, or
at least not as crumbly.  I enjoyed using them.  The colors are
comparable, and they look similar on the paper.

I have already started this photo....another colored pencil drawing on Arches paper.
I guess I am just in a "bird" mood.  I like the mood of this photo....the
peace and solitude.

And I love this gregarious bunch.  They would be fun to draw too.

I notice I am doing a lot of Louisiana birds.  I may try to pitch
a show to a gallery in the area...see if I can get some
of this stuff in front of a different audience.
Thanks for looking!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Eagle Expert

Another change of pace today...My friend works for the U. S.
Forest Service, and this weekend, they were
sponsoring a bald eagle seminar.  The lecture was held at Tunk's
Cypress Inn down on Kincaid Lake. So, this afternoon,
I joined the group there to learn about our bald eagles.

This was the featured presenter, David Hancock of Vancouver, BC. 
He has spent his life studying West coast and arctic wildlife. 
He has published several books, including "The Bald Eagle of
Alaska, BC, and Washington".  He gave an informative
lecture on the birds, along with some great
personal stories from his experiences over the years.

After the lecture, we drove out to Kincaid lake, in the Kisatchie National
Forest, to view the eagle's nest.  This is one of the recreational areas on the lake.

It was a beautiful day to be outside....we were
blessed with plenty of sunshine.

This was my first view of the nest...as we walked along the trail.

A little closer view...he said the female was on the nest,
and the young birds had already hatched.

We got excited...it was just a pelican!

This is my only photo of the eagle...that is his tail sticking out
over the edge of the nest!  I needed to be somewhere besides on
the ground...under them!



And here are the rest of the white pelicans that I saw on
the way out.  All in all, it was a lovely day, spent enjoying
God's glorious creation. 

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Hancock Wildlife Foundation
They do streaming video on this site...check it out and
see if you can watch the eagles