Medium: Watercolor, Image Size: 18″h x 28″w, 1989.

I saw these two Dark-eyed Juncos as they foraged on the ground on a frosty winter day. The oak leaves that littered the forest floor were half frozen and half thawed. Where the sun shone on the leaves, it warmed them and melted the frost, so they were rich warm colors, but where the sun had not melted the frost, the leaves were frosty and blue. It made a rich combination of colors.

Coincidentally, the day before I finished this painting, I went hiking along the edge of this same woodland when I saw a pair of Juncos forging in a nearly identical woodland setting. This scene was from Yreka, California. This was a challenging painting to do in watercolor.

Original is sold.