Stratford Bird Festival

The Osprey in this painting resides in Stratford, and can be seen in Great Marsh and along the river and coastal areas of town. It was chosen as the featured bird in this year's 3rd annual Bird Festival, and I was asked to paint a portrait of her. Not knowing what an Osprey looks like close up, I was able to collaborate with a local bird photographer who was also a member of the Bird Festival committee, Ed Soderberg. He had so many wonderful photos of the osprey both in flight and at rest that the hardest part of my project was to chose which shots to work from. I decided to combine two shots into one painting, both flying and in repose. The feather pattern of the bird in flight is striking, but I aslo wanted to focus on the remarkable eyes and regal bearing of this bird that sets it apart from a hawk or an eagle. The background is Great Marsh, as seen when I bike along route 113. The sky was strictly creative license!