Busying Myself With Birds

It seems I seriously need a break from everything I've been working on for the last six months, so I rummaged around until I found the box where I keep my silverpoint stuff. Several years ago I made a number of little 5" x 7" silverpoint drawings, and it's a medium I really enjoy. I never finished this piece, and I find it restful to add stroke upon stroke, building a soft, silvery finish. So here's what I did today:

Two Mourning Doves, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Also— I watched a couple of plein air videos. Plein air painting (out in the open landscape) is not something I do well, but there's always the chance to learn about it and maybe try it again sometime. After looking at the videos, I thought I'd at the very least try a toned surface. The actual scene is a cornfield in Pennsylvania in the winter, with a big mottled sky and a luscious complementary combination of azure blue and rust at the horizon line, where the sky meets the mowed corn. Here's the start— I used a very thin wash, and will have to remove those dust particles before going any further.

Homes On The Hill, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)