Annie MasonIn January 2019, I decided to do another series. I had done the Zodiac signs and
Vintage Seed Packs. This thought, however, proved to be a long journey: I decided to paint all 50 United States' official birds and flowers.
The first decision was to go alpha. That gave me a road to stay on, and I could check ✅ them off one by one. In between, I continued to paint my usual floral designs, animals, patterns, insects, and anything that comes into my head, usually from nature.
Alabama takes flight.
One down, forty-nine to go! Don't worry, I'm not going to post all 50 here but I will send you to where you can see the whole collection at the end of this post.
I did all the "A" states by the end of January, then took a break. These first few were nicely received, with Arizona still being one of the most popular in the series.
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If you want to explore the world of state birds and flowers this book on Nature Study Handbook is a must. (hover over the title for more information).
I chronicled my early musings in two blog posts: Painting each State Bird and Flower and
Adding more State Birds and Flowers
April was my next group, with Connecticut Delaware Florida Hawaii among the states.
Hawaii is one of my favorites: I love the black and white pen and ink of the Nene Goose against the bright yellow of the hibiscus flower (which, to me, looks like a lei)
I continued through 2019, ending the year with Missouri. I felt like I was right on track to be able to finish by the end of 2020. I use reference pictures from the public domain, creative commons (with licensing credit), and stock photos; all about birds and flowers. All of the works are a combination of using a bird and a flower from two different sources and combining them in a deliberate design.
If you are a bird lover, a true "birder," or someone who wants to find out what that "strange bird" you just saw is called, this book needs to be in your library. Beautiful, full-color identification pictures are arranged for quick access. The National Audubon Society is the most important nonprofit organization whose history is to preserve the environment and teach the conservation of bird and nature habitats.
You might have a little one who keeps asking questions about the birds at your backyard feeder. Audubon also has a book for kids available on Amazon.
Lastly, a Journal - Science and Geography paperback. Ages 9 to Adult. Add State Flowers + State Trees.
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Thank you.
I started the year 2020 painting Montana.
This was the first state bird I did where I did a short video while painting, and later in the year (when I got brave enough), I posted it to YouTube.
I was determined to finish the full 50 states by the end of 2020, so I picked up the pace and ensured I was on track. You will find that the videos got better and better because I learn more and more as I tried my hand at video editing. I joined a group called Bloggers Traffic Community, and I had the support of this group, adding traffic to my blog and learning video techniques from fellow bloggers.
By late July, I was cranking these out and enjoying the process of video-making while I painted each bird and flower of each state. The time-lapse video is fun, and I have found that people were clicking these more often on YouTube and Pinterest.
Click here to watch Oregon on YouTube.
A little digital music might be just the right thing for relaxing in your favorite chair.
Bird sounds to use during massage, yoga, or daily stretching available from Amazon.
For the serious birder, these binoculars are the perfect addition for the enthusiastic ornithologist. Click the image here. (hover over the title for more information.
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My confidence increased as I worked on finishing these by the end of the year. At this point, I had my setup for video taking at my easel, and I had experimented with several different editors. I settled on the existing Video Editor on my laptop, while I explore the more sophisticated methods and platforms within my budget.
One more share of a video: Vermont (finished product)
"Flying" to the end, I finished Wyoming the day after Thanksgiving 2020. Ta-Da!!!!
It has been quite an accomplishment. I limited my social media and sharing until I had completed the entire collection. You can find all 50 states here on my Society6 storefront under "Collections": United States Birds and Flowers.
I also made an Idea Pin on Pinterest highlighting my favorites from this collection:
A to Z - State Birds and Flowers
ADDENDUM: January 5, 2021. Since posting this article I have created a full YouTube video that runs through each state bird and flower watercolor. Names of birds and flowers are left out, and maybe a chance to see if you (or your child) can name them.
Video: 4 min 15 sec.
Thanks for browsing through the watercolor art which completes the series of
State Birds and Flowers.
Pin it, please
Surprisingly, none of my favorite birds (Eagles, Hummingbirds, and Peacocks) are "State Birds" so here are some books about these magnificent birds, large and small, that you might like to purchase from Amazon. I get a small commission without any cost to you.
(Click the bird links above or the image below).
