A Kingfisher Painting

I've always wanted to draw or paint well but I have come to accept the fact that that is not one of my talents. I would love to be able to draw the birds I see, or paint the beautiful places I've visited, but I am content with being able to take pictures instead. It is still another art form =)

So I was really happy and grateful to have received a beautiful painting of a bird made by my good friend, Ry. We used to be co-teachers: I was a SpEd Teacher and he was the Art Teacher but we've both left the school a few years back.

I've started seeing his paintings of birds on Instagram and was honored when he asked permission to use some of my and Jops's bird photos as reference for more bird paintings!

How cool is that: to have your bird photograph transformed into a painting! And I didn't expect to actually be given the actual painting!!! But I did! And it is such a wonderful gift to receive!

This is Ry's painting of a Spotted Wood Kingfisher.
He used Jops's photo as reference! So cool!

Here is the close up of the painting:

I'm still amazed at the details and colors Ry used!

And here's Jops's photo which was used as reference for the painting:

For me, the photo and the painting have such a different effect but both are definitely awesome and I'd surely want both of them hanging on my wall!

Ry gave me the painting in a cafe over lunch and it was so beautiful that the lady seated on the table beside us just had to interrupt and inquire about it! She was interested in having one made for her house! She even took our picture =)

So, THANK YOU again Ry for this most wonderful gift! I'm sure a lot of my birder friends would love to have a beautiful bird painting hanging on their walls too, especially if it is an interpretation of their own bird photograph! And I'm sure you'd do it, right? =)

Now, I have two bird paintings done by my friends! My "Ry" will go beside my "Pinlac" =)

Another kingfisher painting by my friend, Clemence,
which he gave before flying away to Italy =)