Ruby-throated Hummingbird ~ "Little Wonders" ~ Watercolor Framing:Unframed Wet-on-wet washes let those tones

Wet-on-wet washes let those tones blend naturally

Green-crowned woodnymphs inhabit the understory of Central and South American forests

catching prey they've never seen

The pair bond extends to their hunting territory and flight patterns — these are birds that know each other's habits intimately

Barn owls have a face like no other bird: that heart-shaped disc

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ~ "Little Wonders" ~ Watercolor Framing:Unframed Wet-on-wet washes let those tonesThis ruby throated hummingbird watercolor captures the only hummingbird species that breeds in eastern North America a tiny jewel that crosses the Gulf of Mexico nonstop during migration. That's 500 miles over open water on wings that beat 53 times per second. The ruby throat gorget flashes red to black depending on the angle of light, and I wanted this painting to catch that shimmer. I worked freehand on archival cotton rag paper with Kissho Gansai