Category: heron

Great Blue Heron

I sketched this after a friend commented how much she loved seeing the heron’s legs dangling behind them as they flew.   She watches them in Urbana, IL, and I watch them here in Portland, OR.  When my husband and I were courting a few years ago, we drove by a wetland preserve at dusk.  A great blue heron flew in front of the windshield.  We were poking along, flirting and enjoying the scenery.  Suddenly we saw beak, eye, feathers, and motion, Jim hit the brakes but it had ascended already, in one wing flap it reached the sky.  It was frightening because we almost hit it, but exhilarating because it appeared like a vision then soared into the heavens.   In the end, we felt that our relationship was blessed by a heron.  It’s a good sign that herons and other big ancient birds are still among us.  I hope we always respect and make room for their habitats.

I’ve gotten some guidelines from the book Watercolor Pencil Magic by Cathy Johnson, now out of print but available on cd and download.  I got it from the library — great source for out of print books. Last night I did this heron exercise last night with watercolor pencils then did the detail in colored pencil. I still liked it this morning. Next I’ll try another with body and legs, I’ll go heron watching on Sauvie Island.

Cathy Johnson writes great, user friendly guides for drawing, painting and journaling. She does wonders for your confidence and enjoyment of the process.