#3035 "Indigo Blues"

 

#3035 "Indigo Blues" 
12 X 10 (inches) Oils on canvas.
Started at 9 am on Monday, August 3rd, 2026

Indigo buntings are a favourite songbird of the Singleton Sanctuary. The small, brilliant and very colourful bird prefers brushy areas along forest edges. We have lots of those at Singleton! 

This little male indigo was quietly enjoying the sunlight. Like most other "blue coloured" birds, including the "bluebird" of happiness, the feathers of indigo buntings are not actually blue. The plumage contains the dull brown-black pigment melanin. A frontlit feather will appear bright blue as light scatters from the melanin via Rayleigh scattering. A backlit feather with the light coming from behind the feather to your eye reveals the true dark colour of the plume. 

The colours of this indigo bunting are various hues of blues. Even though the sun is not included, that fact tells us that the sun was in front of the bunting. I branded this as "Creative Scene Investigation" when I applied it to the art of Tom Thomson. Basic science can reveal a lot of truths which would not be obvious otherwise. CSI applied to art was also fun and informative when applied to the forensic cold art cases.

The large eye of the indigo bunting is striking and always a challenge to get just right. The tiniest details have to be perfect to allow the bird to really see. 

Here are a few of the steps in putting this indigo bunting together... 

Different lighting over the course of a week can really influence the hues of the painting photos.

I have painted Indigo Buntings before... #1188 "Indigo", #2922 "Blue Bunting of Happiness"; #2947 "Indigo Bunting Singing A Love Song"; and this one, #3035 "Indigo Blues" 

For this and much more art, click Fine Art America or go straight to Collections or the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you so very much for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick