Hot Dog!! I knew today was going to be a good day when as soon as I stepped out the door, I saw a hawk in my tree. Slowly I reached for my camera to get a good shot but scared him anyway and he took off.
Here is a close-up:
At this very second in time, he lifted from the branch and was turning direction in mid-flight to fly south. I love his wings! You can see light passing through them and also can distinguish individual feathers.
Here is my quick sketch. This moment is now preserved in time for me to enjoy over and over and over again. Today is going to be a good day.
Let's Paint Nature! 
Gorgeous moment, gorgeous photo, Christine! And I love your sketch–how you’ve captured the idea of “hawkness.” I was talking with Jesus about this kind of thing concerning a picture of leaves, and He said to me that the painting I had seen was in a sense more real than a photograph because the artist strives to capture the spirit of a subject while a photograph only shows what the thing looks like. Cool! Great job on the hawk!
Love, Cindy
Awesome! Looks like it might have been a Cooper’s hawk.
Your paintings are great…love the hawk, Blue Jays and the squirrel…you caught the essence of the original photos.
Blessings,
Mary
Cindy: Yes! An artist’s goal is not to repaint a scene, but to capture a feeling, a moment, the spirit. I can only do that with His help.
Lana: You are correct! This Cooper’s hawk has been revisiting my bird hot spot for several days. He has to eat too, so I don’t mind 🙂
Mary: Thank you so much!
Great sketch–you captured the hawk perfectly.