Waterfowl… Why I Love to Paint Them

Ducks are such hardy little creatures. They can live in frigid climates and thrive because they have built-in thermal insulation. They can travel thousands of miles on their migration routes using only the bodies they were given at birth.

When I first started trying to learn to paint, I was blown away by the works of such waterfowl masters as David Maass, Phillip Crowe, Maynard Reece, Jim Hautman, Ken Carlson and Larry Chandler just to name a few! I purchased a book entitled “Duck Stamps and Prints” that featured the winning duck stamp art from 1934-1987 of these great artists. The beauty with which these artists portrayed ducks and their habitat made a lasting impression on me.

Ducks have such varied color schemes that one can’t help being drawn to their beauty. The brilliant colors of their feathers cry out to be painted. Their regal beauty of their top knots, the color of their beaks, the iridescence of their feathers, all these features make for gorgeous paintings.

Ducks just happen to live in my favorite habitat to paint, water. Water is the grand landscape mirror. The beauty of it’s reflections call out to my inner spirit like the haunting of an old deserted mansion. There are few things more beautiful to me than a light fog floating just above the surface of the water in an old backwoods pond just about sunrise.

These are but a few of the many reasons I’m so drawn to ducks and why I love to paint them. And speaking of painting, it’s time to get back to work so I’d better stop pondering and start painting. Until next time, keep your brushes clean, your colors pure, and as always, thanks for stopping by the North Forty.

Regards,

P.S.

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Thank you.