#2839 "American Kestrel"

#2839 "American Kestrel" 16x20 inches oils on stretched canvas. 
Started at 10 am Tuesday January 30th, 2024 in the Singleton Studio

My friend, John Verburg, a naturalist and terrific photographer took this image of an American kestrel - the smallest of falcons. John encourages me to paint from his art. 

I display the photo on an old TV and go right to the brush. I still needed to give #2833 "The Sun of Whiskey Jack Bay" a break. The paint is very thick on that 3 by 4 footer canvas and that requires time to cure - "thick on thin" is the oil painter's adage... All things take time. 

The slender American Kestrel is roughly the size and shape of a Mourning Dove. The kestrel does have a larger head; longer, narrow wings; and a long, square-tipped tail. In flight, the wings are often bent and the wingtips swept back like a fighter jet.  

The American kestrel (Falco sparverius), also called the sparrow hawk, is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. It also ranges to South America and is a well-established species that has evolved into 17 subspecies adapted to different environments and habitats throughout the Americas. It exhibits sexual dimorphism in size (females being moderately larger) and plumage, although both sexes have a rufous back with noticeable barring. Its plumage is colorful and attractive, and juveniles are similar in plumage to adults. The American kestrel usually hunts in energy-conserving fashion by perching and scanning the ground for prey to ambush, though it also hunts from the air. It sometimes hovers in the air with rapid wing beats while homing in on prey. Its diet typically consists of grasshoppers and other insects, lizards, mice, and small birds. This broad diet has contributed to its wide success as a species. It nests in cavities in trees, cliffs, buildings, and other structures. The female lays three to seven eggs, which both sexes help to incubate. 

Physically, American kestrels are leaner and less muscular than larger falcons. The pectoral flight muscles of the American kestrel make up only about 12% of its body weight, as compared to about 20% for the strongest flying falcons such as the peregrine. The wings are moderately long, fairly narrow, and taper to a point. 

I was still listening to the Best of the Statler Brothers CDs. My Brother Jim has been acquiring hundreds of CDs while the rest of the world was shifting to streaming Spotify. We also enjoy Spotify now that StarLink provides faster internet to very rural areas. However, the old CDs are classic. There are several lifetimes of music left to listen to again. 

The world needs more art whether it be music, dance or paintings. Creativity needs to return to the education system. It is impossible to feel bad or to harm anything with a paintbrush in your hand. Just my thoughts of course... but I was still thinking them as I painted the birds I see every day in the Singleton Sanctuary. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick