#birdartist

We’re in the final full week of January, which means there’s less than a week to get a signed copy of Winged Heroes by becoming a $10+ Patron! (If you are interested, or course.) If you sign up today, it’ll be in the mail tomorrow. :)

As I mentioned in my last shameless pitch, becoming a Patron has other benefits–including a weekly update on my current art projects (usually Thursday, sometimes Friday) and access to a bunch of Patron-only posts from the past few years. Swipe to see a couple of examples!

My main project focus right now is a Skillshare class on How To See Like An Artist. I’m in the scripting/test filming stage, and Patrons are getting to see it as I go, as well as provide extremely valuable feedback. I want to make a class that helps new and intermediate artists get better at representational drawing faster by sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned over my three(ish) decades of making art. Patrons helped me choose this topic, and I’m looking forward to hearing their thoughts as I make more and more progress!

If you’d like to join in, please consider subscribing at $2/month. If you’d like to join in AND you want a signed book, consider the $10 level! If you want to join in, want a book, and want to throw in some extra support of my art and illustration projects, consider the $20 level.

And if you’re even reading this–thank you for following my work! I hope it makes you smile, laugh, think, or any combination of the above.

#patreon #bookgift #artprocess #skillshareclass #onlineclass #birdartist #natureartist #support #growth #sketches #digitalpainting #comicbook #giveaway
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZMql11LcQ9/?utm_medium=tumblr

6: Winter’s Warmth

By December 2018 another whirlwind was at my back. I was wrapping up the first year I’d worked full-time for myself making art–without starving, contrary to the old, tired, and increasingly inaccurate stereotype. I had a few major projects with the CLO and an educational video game, and a number of other conservation or non-profit clients. I was making art in general at a furious rate. And it was during this first year, my relationship with art-making started to become unhealthy.

The complete absence of a steady paycheck scared the absolute heck out of me. I had zero example of how to manage this, and at the time “hustle/entrepreneur” culture was going strong, without much critique on its impact on well-being. So I worked. And worked and worked and worked, and if I was awake, I was either working or thinking about working. This culminated in a visit to the ER, with a migraine so bad and weird I thought I might be having a stroke.
That was enough of a wake-up call that I started establishing some boundaries. I started being more comfortable with saying “no” to clients with projects that didn’t fit me, and charging more responsible rates for those who did. This did not happen overnight, and is still in progress to this day.

I also didn’t do it alone. One of the joys of being in Charlottesville was getting to know my awesome sister (@abiggril) as an adult, and meet her wonderful friends, who welcomed me into their community with open arms. (And lots of board games and food!) They continue to be some of my favorite people, even though I live across the mountain now.
Last but far from least, my biggest supporter, best friend, and partner was there with me through it all. He’s the kind of partner that definitely inspires a goopy mistletoe-y snuggly sort of Christmas card.

If you have friends, family, partners, pets–any Being of any kind who makes your days rich with love this chilly season, consider telling them so once you finish reading this. And consider, if you/they are a touchy/feely type, a good hug.

#happyholidays #throwback #advent #birdart #whimsical #watercolor #inkbirds #winterbirds #birdartist #inkbirds #love #loveisthething

https://www.instagram.com/virginiagreeneillustration/p/CXyhJm8Li0f/?utm_medium=tumblr

5: The Road Ahead

2017 was a whirlwind of a year. I was making up for my hermit-like college years with ferocity–in addition to working at the Lab of O, I had joined two church choirs, gotten engaged in some community volunteering, and was socializing most nights of the week and weekend. Everything was going well and sprinting forward, and I could see a concrete future for myself coalescing that checked all of my boxes–something I’d been pursuing since I left my parent’s home 10 years prior.
Then a significant personal snag occured, and that envisioned future became so much fog. I was not sure what was next again.
It was in that fog, sitting at a coffeeshop in Burlington, VT, that I painted this image that went on to be my Christmas card for the year. I wasn’t very familiar with Stoicism at the time, but had unconsciously made for myself a little Stoic scholar in the form of this ruffed grouse.

The untouched snow ahead beckons. There are many ways to leave a trail, and all of them lead to life–with the right attitude, a life lived well. But no matter what, your job as One Who Lives is to press on–one foot in front of the other.

#happyholidays #throwback #advent #birdart #whimsical #watercolor #inkbirds #winterbirds #birdartist #theroadahead #journey #memories #ruffedgrouse #gouache #stoicism
https://www.instagram.com/virginiagreeneillustration/p/CXv8BGwrm3x/?utm_medium=tumblr

3: Winter Birds of the East Coast

The end of 2015 found me a lot more confident and a lot happier. The end of my masters was in sight, with all my research trials (or so I thought, haha) behind me and one long semester of writing ahead. My work-wife and best buddy Sarah and I were killing it every day–teaching in the classroom, doing research in the lab, and getting swole at the gym. (We also enjoyed putting together outfits with whatever we had in our closets, which are some of the earliest things I documented on Instagram.) With more of a handle on things non-art related, I found myself drawing and thinking about art a lot more often.
There was a poster in my office in Millington (RIP, the building has since been torn down and only exists in W&M students’ memories) that had been left by some long-graduated student titled “Birds of the Garden” by Larry McQueen, of North American birds in winter. If you’re not familiar with McQueen’s work, definitely look him up! I looked at this poster all the time and loved how the birds in it were ALIVE, going about their business in the snow even as their species names hovered beside them. As I started thinking about that year’s holiday card, I wondered–what if I did that, but silly? And here we are.
This is still one of the most popular cards I’ve ever done, and I still sell packs of them to friends and family. It spun into card “sequels”, as I did Birds of the East Coast for the other three seasons. This card also led in part to one of the greatest adventures and turning points of my life–but that’s getting ahead of myself. ;)
PS - Sarah, if you’re reading this, I love you!

#happyholidays #throwback #advent #birdart #whimsical #throwback #watercolorbirds #winterbirds #birdartist
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXO11SKFZRj/?utm_medium=tumblr

Two brief morning sketching sessions using a bird-a-day calendar from 2018. Yes, I held onto it! (And moved with it about five times…)

#bird #birdart #birdartist #pelican #birdadaycalendar #practice #studies #sketching #ink #clo
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWd-JOXr25F/?utm_medium=tumblr

As Bronk and Peter approached the flock of geese, they were greeted with a chorus of honks and hollering. The lead goose banked towards them, cutting easily through the high winds that Peter dared not attempt alone.
“Oi there friend!” The lead goose cried, piercing the air. “Looking for a flock to join? Ain’t too many of us, but the winds are still that much easier to–”
The goose did a double-take, nearly wing-slapping his rear compatriot. “Bronk!? Is that you, brother?!”
Bronk laughed, and all the other geese joined in as they moved closer. Peter quickly saw that their family colors matched those of his friend’s–rich maroon; brilliant orange. Well, all except the rakish red of their business gear.
“You always were the perceptive one, Tronk!” Bronk hollered back.
Tronk ululated with delight. “Well I’ll be plucked! I thought you’d given up migration, what with the songbird business plans!”
“Oh, they’re going strong–cargo is a booming field back in the mountains of Remex! In fact, let me introduce you to the genius who came up with the idea…”
—
Old friends, new joys
New songs in an old voice
Black ink, color bright
Tales by day and songs by night–

Oh, come with me to those Remex places,
And hear the myths of her feathered races.

#balladsofremex #OctoBoR #storytelling #fantasy #animals #canadagoose #tuftedtitmouse #illustration #art #illu #illustration #drawing #painting #artist #nature #natureartist #bird #birdartist #artistsoninstagram #practice #learning

#watercolor #ink #pen #inkpen #mixedmedia #growth #kidsillustration #kidlit
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUgHT7wLzaI/?utm_medium=tumblr

Sang a sunrise song high in the sky
Met a hen who liked the sound
We had a great time for a night or two
But in the end she didn’t stick around

The spring’s long gone,
And I’m all alone,
Strumming my timberdoodle tune!

I’ve seen all the snacks other fancy birds like
Nothing’s finer than a fresh earthworm
Can’t quite tell you what my favorite part is
It’s either the texture or the squirm

Summer’s done flown,
And I’m on my own,
Eating my timberdoodle stew!

Soon as I see that red tinge of leaves
Or feel that autumn breeze blow
When the day gets short and the night gets long
That’s how I know it’s time to go.

Winter comes gray,
But I’ll be okay,
Living my timberdoodle way.
—-
#art #illu #illustration #drawing #painting #artist #nature #natureartist #bird #birdartist #artistsoninstagram #balladsofremex #bor #song #tune #americanwoodcock #timberdoodle #watercolor #ink #newfriends #patronsgettoseethescan #OctoBoR
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUoHD76sk_a/?utm_medium=tumblr

The spring will come and snows will melt
Fresh leaves will grow and chills will fade
Stark branch will bloom with velvet pink
Still fertile fields now green remade

Whatever stage of the sun in the sky
Whether cold or warm, in bright or shade
My days are blessed with you beside
Our love by every moment made
—
#art #illu #illustration #drawing #painting #artist #nature #natureartist #bird #birdartist #artistsoninstagram #practice #graphite #pencil #watercolor #ink #BalladsofRemex #OctoBoR #love #yearround #carolinawren #screechowl #natureartist #kidlit #kidsillustration #childrensbookillustration
https://www.instagram.com/p/CU46D_tLggm/?utm_medium=tumblr

#sneakpeek #wip #BalladsofRemex #bor #OctoBoR #process #sketch #graphite #drawing #screechowl #easternscreechowl #art #illu #illustration #bird #birdartist #birdart
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsBtzgLyhB/?utm_medium=tumblr

Last week Audubon reported hundreds of dead and dying songbirds who had struck buildings in NYC. Looking at the pictures makes my heart hurt. Unfortunately, this isn’t a rare event–window strikes of all kinds are thought to kill up to a billion birds a year (Loss, 2014) all over the country. NYC has a lot of windows, a lot of lights, and is smack in the path of the Atlantic Flyway–and so every migration birds get disoriented and die from striking windows that look (to them) like just more sky.

These facts about birds and buildings are why we included window strikes in NYC in the first few pages of Winged Heroes. Mya and I wanted this book to be a fun read (and it is!), but it was important to us to confront real issues that birds face in today’s world. In this scene, I took care to depict the real species (a LOT of warblers) that die needlessly every year from these events.

Real birds do not have Avian Superheroes there to redirect their flight paths away from danger–so it is up to us humans to help mitigate window strikes, as individuals and as organizations. Treating windows to make them more apparent to birds (many, many ways to do this!) and turning off lights at night are ways to minimize window strikes–and if you are planning a building, taking the possibility of strikes into account when designing windows.
For more information, check out both Audubon’s and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s resources on window strikes.

#art #illu #illustration #drawing #painting #digital #comic #cartoon #artist #bird #birdartist #artistsoninstagram #graphicnovel #wingedheroes #warblers #windowstrike
#clientwork #kidart #educuation #scienceeducation
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUNtDNYLEi0/?utm_medium=tumblr

Today is the first day of fall!
Bring on the cooler weather, crunchy leaves, crisp mornings, sweaters, rich smells of damp earth and autumn mushrooms, hot drinks, riotous oranges and reds across the mountains, scruffy new birds and scruffy old birds, and the anticipation of hunkering down to rest, to reflect, to rejoice in our friends and loved ones. I will sing the praises of Fall as long as I have a voice, and I hope this annual turning of the season brings you great joy as well.

#fall #love #refreshed #renewed #rest #throwback #turkeys #wildturkey #autumn #leaves #orange #red #oak #art #illu #illustration #drawing #painting #artist #nature #natureartist #bird #birdartist #artistsoninstagram
#clientwork #rangerrickjr #kidart #educuation #scienceeducation

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUIMOcbrZsa/?utm_medium=tumblr

Just WHO are you looking at??
You’re looking at the final illustration for Ranger Rick Jr. from the owl sketch a while back! Keep an eye out for the next issue to see the whole thing! :)

#greathornedowl #owl #art #illu #illustration #drawing #painting #artist #sketchbook #nature #natureart #natureartist #bird #birdartist #birdart #digitalart #digitalpainting #digital #artistsoninstagram #clientwork #rangerrickjr #kidart #educuation #scienceeducation
https://www.instagram.com/p/CT3NshjL05U/?utm_medium=tumblr

I illustrated a graphic novel!!!! And you can buy it NOW!
It was a joy to work with author Mya Thompson (and many others!) to bring Emilio and friends to life in Winged Heroes: For All Birdkind!
I learned a ton on this project about how much work goes into a book (from all different directions) and I am so excited that it’s going to exist (after a pandemic-caused near miss). Two years of ink, sweat, and virtual paint will be on the shelves of bookstores on September 7th, and is available for pre-order on Amazon or at your local comic book store now!

Thank you especially to Mya Thompson, the author and mastermind, and Jill Leichter, the glue that held this project together, for pacing back and forth with thumbnails all over the walls of the Cornell Lab with me in 2018 and 2019 to make this book happen. I hope y'all are proud of it too!!
Swipe for some of my favorite images from the book, and let me know what you think when you read it! :)
#graphicnovels #art #illu #illustration #drawing #painting #artist #bird #pigeon #city #NYC #CornellLab #birdartist #cartoons #comics #comic #peregrinefalcon #wingedheroes #birdheroes #graphicnovel #kidlit #graphicnovelsforkids #gratitude #digital #ink #publishedbook #published #whew

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTM5Dc3LmKh/?utm_medium=tumblr

“Beauty of a Hawk” is a ink painting in my bird card series. You can see my different cards available on @redbubble imagineuniverse.redbubble.com. I love painting all types of birds. What kind of bird is your favorite? Please follow me for more animal artwork! #redbubble #redbubbleartist #redbubbleshop #redbubbleart #redbubbleartistshop #findyourthing #findyourthingredbubble #hawkart #hawklover #hawk #hawks #birdlover #birdlovers #birdart #birdartwork #birdartists #birdartist #feathers #animalart #animaladdicts #animalartist #wildlifeart #wildlifeaddicts #wildlifeartist #wildlifeartwork #wildlifeartists #animalartists #inkart #inkdrawing #inkdrawings
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDl050rIGf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=