Rebecca

As I began, I felt the hesitation that comes with the pressure to "perform" - even though this is course is just for me, I still find myself motivated by a need to achieve. But as I began getting lost in the texture of the branches, the shape of the leaves, the posture of the warbler, the need to be "good" was overcome by an enjoyment of the detail of nature. A look at the photograph reveals a striking yellow bird against a background of green. But with a pencil in hand, trying to recreate the image, I saw all the life that is present in the image. It is not just a branch, but a symbiotic relationship with at least four forms of lichen, not just a yellow bird, but a bird with yellow, grey, deep black, rust orange. He (she?) is not just sitting on a branch, but poised, watchful, alive. In the end, I didn't add color because I like how the rough sketch captures the movement and texture and shape. I feel as though I now know a bit about yellow warblers, and will more easily identify one in the future - a knowledge I wouldn't have just from looking at the photo.