This Nuthatch marks the completion of one entire year of One a Week posts. 

It's been such a great way to keep in touch with so many of you!  This year of pressing weekly deadlines (I currently have 20 minutes to finish this post and cook dinner before I teach class, did I mention that I'm also helping my kids with their homework?) really ensures that something gets done in the midst of competing demands on my time! 

I just looked back at my first post where I described this project as "original works made in real time." I suppose that I have kept to that...most of the subjects that I painted were observed the week the painting was posted.

So, an announcement. You will notice some changes next week. This week closes the One a Week project, but expect to see the start of another project next week.

Until then...

​"Nuthatch" is 5 x 7 inches.

Today I took some time to acquaint myself a little better with a sparrow in my yard. I was compensating for a bias I've developed. Sparrows are so ubiquitous I often overlook them for more "special" birds. Nonetheless, these populous European imports (at least two were released in Central Park in the late 1800s and now they populate the most of the continent) possess some elegance. And, rather than rage against their turbulent banter or worry about how they might be pushing out other more delicate birds, I can take a breath and accept them as a part of my landscape...kinda like observing our election circus.

"Sparrow" is 5 x 5 inches.

The sequence of events for this afternoon's painting moment went something like this... Escape the pounding of the roofers at my house. Go to the closest park with open space. Walk. Breathe. Observe. Take off my glasses.  Feel the space. Simplify the light. Load a really big brush with water. Activate paint. Apply. Mix hue. Shift value. Vary temperature. Finish. Repeat.

"Oct 5, High School Park" is 5 x 5 inches.