Red-Breasted Nuthatch bird paintings (diptych) using pastels...SOLD!

I purposefully positioned the male and female on this diptych to face each other while the shape and angle of their bodies and the tree trunks continually lead the eyes to each painting, harmoniously joining the two together (at least that is what I hope to have accomplished).

Nuthatches are acrobatic little birds, often seen going headfirst down a tree trunk or branch looking for food. Breeding pairs are monogamous which means they mate for life.

As you will see from the reference images below, this time, I really broke free from being a slave to a photograph (or two)!  Since I wanted to paint a diptych of a pair of red-breasted nuthaches in breeding plumage, I sifted through my own reference photos and found a suitable one I had taken of a juvenile red-breasted nuthatch (photo on the bottom right).

I had a composition in mind but none of the photos I had taken were suitable for the second painting... my problem was that I did not have any nice downward-facing poses of a  nuthatch.

Then, one day, almost by accident, I found the perfect pose while reading my blog roll! My dear blogger friend, Carol Blackburn, graciously agreed for me to use hers as a guide for my painting (even though the bird she photographed on the left below, was a white-breasted nuthatch)! 

So, as you can see, the female bird has undergone quite a transformation and even changed specie! As for the male bird, he has transformed as well, just not as dramatically...he is all grown up on my painting...the little guy on my photo was not quite mature yet and had not developed his full coloration!