Green-crowned Woodnymph ~ "Fluttering Sparks" ~ Watercolor Pairs This least bittern watercolor painting

This least bittern watercolor painting captures the smallest heron in North America — a secretive marsh bird that most people never see

The pileated's striking red crest demanded pigments that could hold both intensity and transparency — the Gansai reds deliver that beautifully

warm creams on the breast

Their tiny bodies generate heat through constant feeding

and the overall palette moves between cool grays and warm browns in tight

Green-crowned Woodnymph ~ "Fluttering Sparks" ~ Watercolor Pairs This least bittern watercolor paintingThis green crowned woodnymph watercolor captures a tropical hummingbird that looks like it was dipped in liquid emerald. Green crowned woodnymphs are found in Central and South American forests, where they hover at flowers with a precision that defies physics. The male's plumage deep green crown, violet blue belly, iridescent green throat contains more color per square inch than almost any other bird I've painted. I worked freehand on archival cotton