Seems like I've caught the illustration bug at least for the moment.  After finishing the Rufous-crested Coquette last week I started on a couple more illustrations.  But not before I had a print made of the coquette--and put it in a matte and frame:

5" x 7" print in 11" x 14" cream matte with 2" black frame

(click image for larger version)

If you are interested in a print,  I can have more like this made.  A photo quality print on matte stock costs $35.  A framed and matted version can be picked up for $60.  Just let me know what you want at western.tanager@gmail.com and we can work something out.

But like I said above the coquette was just the beginning.  Maybe it's the fact that the birds of Peru are so colorful and amazing to look at that I just want to make my own renditions.  Right after I finished the first one I started working on a second bird, that was even more stunning than the Coquette--a Golden Tanager:

Golden Tanager about 50% Complete

Right now it's about 50% finished.  I have a lot of details to add but got a good start on it.  The Golden Tanager is an absolutely striking species and the color is so vibrant.  I've worked on this one an hour or two most nights this week and will probably finish it up this weekend.

I also started working on a Peruvian specialty this week--a bird with one of the coolest names, the Bearded Mountaineer! Cool right?  It's a species of hummingbird endemic to southern Peru and has some very stunning but simple features.  This one is about 10% finished so it's probably over a week out, but you can see the various states from beginning to end with what I've done so far.

Bearded Mountaineer about 10% Complete

You can see how I start with the basic shapes then go into smaller and smaller details as I layer the design.  On this last one I have the basic shapes, and most of the low level details laid out.  I have a at least a couple more birds in mind to work on in the next couple weeks.  I'll be sure to share those as well as the finished versions of the above when they're done.

If you have something you want illustrated let me know and I can see what I can do.