Where To Keep Your Birds When You Don’t Have A Cage

 

My bird paintings are so small I thought about making them into a collage. Then I spotted the box my Apple tablet came in and made reduced copies of the birds, glued the copies to the top of the box, brushed on modge podge and dropped them in. Now they won’t fly away. I did this on a book cover with paintings of houses in my neighborhood. It’s fun. 

Elaine Osborne, this is your life. Well your house anyway

Twenty seven years ago you, Elaine, rendered the homestead in watercolor (Who remembers what boffo art show it was in?)   Just presenting this as a sidebar to your post

 

August 9, 2025 — Elaine O.

I realized I've been neglecting my sketchbook lately—especially since there's a lot going on that needs documenting. Lots of construction...and this time, it's mostly ours! So, after a particularly hectic week, I finished this spread. 

11.5" x 16"

It's not fine art, just enough to roughly document the week for myself. Sadly, most of the work involves dirt, brick and concrete—hence, lots of grays and browns. The work around the neighborhood continues though, and next week promises to be more colorful.

More coneflowers

A single coneflower, or is it an octopus?

9x12 done.

Several coneflowers or are they jellyfish with roots?  

9x12 unfinished.

Random Radishes

 They’re supposed to be lying.on the ground but instead they’ve taken flight. 

August Coneflowers

 Coneflowers have been the Lords of the Lurie Gardens for the past two weeks, but they bow out early leaving their stalks waving like heads upon a stick.  

August 2, 2025 — Elaine O.

Sometimes, you just have to know when to step away. This was based on a small, old B&W reference photo. After some direct watercolor sketching, it was time for fine-tuning and finessing. But I find I like the ghostly feel of this, especially for a vintage scene like this. It feels like a memory. So I'm walking away.

11" x 14"

Alan New Hip 1

 After getting my new hip,I couldn’t sit in one position for more than 10 minutes so I tried painting while standing-no go. But I’m ok now. So here are two paintings on cold press. The first is 9 X 12 and the second is 11 X 14. 

I’d spend more time on the steps but I’ve scrubbed it out so many times that there’s not much paper left.

I did a small sketch of the view down my block at night of the corner gas station where I get my milk and Cheetos and decided to make it a full sized painting. I like the feel of it but I’d draw the bottom differently. 

I’m too old to be this busy….

 

Well part of my problem is I think it’s Thursday instead of Wednesday…Whatever, I just unpacked my art bag from class on Saturday…totally forgot I had painted this mostly in class. I like the colors and the building detail, need a little more work on leaves and branches.

AAlso worked on this one, which I can’t seem to crop. Not sure about this…gotta go to exercise class…

When It Blooms

 My favorite pot this summer. Took photo when pink Angelonia was in full bloom. Shortly after the photo it gave up but the sweet potato vine has reached the ground. Many parallels between gardening and watercolor painting.