Alright, so I was digging around trying to find some good reads on birdwatching, specifically for beginners, and I stumbled upon this author, Stan Tekiela. I saw a bunch of books with his name on them, all about birding in different parts of the US. You got your “Birding for Beginners: Pacific Northwest,” “Birding for Beginners: Northeast,” and even one for the Rocky Mountains. I mean, this guy seems to really know his stuff, right?
So, I picked up the Pacific Northwest one, thinking it might be a good place to start. It wasn’t just about spotting birds, but also about the whole shebang – feeders, food, the works. I figured, hey, if I’m gonna do this, might as well do it right. Got the book and started reading through it.
Then I went off on a tangent, like I always do, and started watching these watercolor painting tutorials online. There was this one guy, Yong Chen, I think his name was. He had some pretty neat tricks, like controlling how much water you put on your brush by squeezing it with your fingers or using a sponge. Yeah, I know, birds and watercolors, what’s the connection, right? But stick with me here.
- Started with Stan Tekiela’s “Birding for Beginners: Pacific Northwest.”
- Got sidetracked by Yong Chen’s watercolor tutorials.
- Learned about controlling water on brushes.
It got me thinking about how different hobbies, even if they seem totally unrelated, can kinda mesh together. Like, paying attention to the small details in watercolor painting is kinda like observing birds in the wild. You gotta be patient, observant, and appreciate the little things.
Putting it all Together
So, I decided to combine my newfound interest in birdwatching with my random watercolor skills. I started going out to local parks, armed with my Tekiela book and a small watercolor set. I’d find a nice spot, try to identify some birds, and then attempt to paint them. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Birds don’t exactly sit still for you to paint them, and my watercolor skills were, well, let’s just say they were “developing.”
But it was fun, a real challenge. And it felt good to be out in nature, learning something new, and combining it with a completely different skill. I even started a little journal, with my messy bird sketches and notes about what I saw. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s mine, and it’s a record of my little adventure combining birdwatching and watercolor painting.
So yeah, that’s my story about how I got into this weird mix of hobbies thanks to some guy named Stan and his bird books, plus a random watercolor artist I found online. It’s been a ride, and I’m still learning, but that’s the fun part, right?
