Portfolio

A timelapse of my sketching and painting process for a Western Kingbird

Each one of my drawings starts with a light framework to guide my pencil details.

For every sketch, I always start by creating a light framework (“gesture sketch”) using a non-photo blue pencil before drawing over it with graphite pencil. This helps me to keep track of my details and place major features of the subject.

I work in watercolors, colored pencil, and digital media.

Most of my artwork is done with mixed media – layering watercolors from light to dark to capture the main blocks of color, then adding colored pencil highlights on top. I also work in digital media using Adobe Fresco. To the right is a Downy Woodpecker drawn digitally.

I create commissioned wildlife art projects for clients involved in conservation and public education

A lot of my work is done for nonprofits whose mission involves conservation, science or public education. To the left is a Broad-winged Hawk illustration that I created for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (https://www.hawkmountain.org/) in 2024.

Some of My Recent Artwork:

House Finches – watercolor and colored pencil, 9×12 on Bristol Board

Completed for my personal Field Guide to the Northeast project

Owls of Pennsylvania – watercolors and gouache on Canson Mi-tentes toned paper

Created for my Owls of Pennsylvania stationery product series

Christmas Songbirds – watercolor and colored pencil on Bristol Board

Drawn for my Christmas Songbirds product line

Peregrine Falcon – watercolors and graphite pencil on 11×8.5 cold press paper

I Use a Nature Journal to Draw Birds From Life

View my process for capturing birds in the field using simple sketching techniques and a nature journal: