Today marks ten posts to go until we reach the end of our January challenge! But who's counting... With the past two sparrow paintings I wasn't super-happy with the results, so I've gone back to the drawing board - literally. My Rock Pigeon studies are a chance to step back from watercolor and just work up some pencil sketches, taking the time to get the proportions right (I hope). But then I couldn't resist touching the eye with some color. The Rock Pigeon is one of a handful of bird species that we saw in all four European countries we visited last year - Ireland, Spain, Bulgaria and Turkey - and of course it's ubiquitous here in the US as well (though introduced of course).

Rock Pigeon, Columba livia, pencil studies

New species are in short supply over on Horsebarn Hill, so this afternoon Jorge went a little farther afield in search of a good late-afternoon subject. He has been keeping an eye out for a Barred Owl the whole month, and finally hit the jackpot on a quiet back road in Willington, just as the daylight was fading!

Barred Owl, Strix varia, Willington Connecticut