Painting Distractions

I sometimes think that a bird artist, maybe all nature artists, should have their studios in windowless closets or basements!  I'll tell you why.  My studio sits on a hillside and has windows on the west, north, and east sides.  Big windows.  And they look into the tree tops, at the bird feeders, and at the fish pond.  So what does that mean?  Well, there are birds out there almost all of the time and I find it almost impossible to ignore them.  So when I should be working on that latest watercolor painting I find myself checking out a flock of Pygmy Nuthatches moving through the Ponderosa Pines toward the suet feeder.  Or, look out to the west toward the mountains--a soaring Redtail Hawk.  Sometimes, just to be mean, these distracting birds actually land right on the deck railing just a few feet from my drawing table.  How disturbing!  Here's a few examples of recent distractions, all photographed through studio windows.

This is the view to the west toward the Bitterroot Mountains.  

The Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge is in the valley beyond the trees and this side of the mountains.  I can see ducks on the ponds with my spotting scope.

This Northern Flicker (red-shafted) apparently wanted me to paint another Flicker picture with him as the star.

He seems to be trying to convince me by exhibiting unusual poses.  

"Here's my profile.  Is this pose better?"  Go away and leave me alone and maybe I'll think about starting another flicker painting.

"Hey, what about me?  You made it into "Birds in Art" competition  in 2005 with a painting of us Magpies.  Isn't it time for another?"

O.K. I really had to look at this one.  Townsend's Solitaires don't show up in the yard regularly.

See?  Distractions, distractions.  My days seem to be filled with "mugging" birds trying to get famous (they don't know that my paintings won't make them famous.)   Guess I'll have to paint at night.  I haven't heard any owls here at the house yet.