Drawing obsession continues

I cannot believe I haven't posted anything in a year.  I moved and have been dealing with a lot of changes in my life since my ex passed away last June. But I have continued to draw. As always, some are better than others. If nothing else, I have continued to learn.
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The above is a European Reed Warbler which I drew in April of 2022. This would have been a bird the Ancient Romans would have seen and in fact did see as attested in frescoes covered by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. I found it interesting that when reading about birds depicted in the ancient world that very few are in nests. But I liked the photo of this one and wanted the challenge of drawing the nest and foliage. 

The nest was a lot of work so my next project was a trio of Rufous Hummingbirds that included one sticking it's tongue out. In my mind he's sticking it out at the other two who are looking on disapprovingly. I drew this in May of 2022.

I drew this momma Black-Chinned Hummingbird in May of 2022 as well. There is something fascinating about those tiny little nests constructed with spider webs and other fibers. (I gifted this one to MBV.)

June was busy with packing and moving. I didn't draw anything worthy. But in July of 2022 I tried my hand at a Painted Bunting splashing in the water. (I gifted this one to my mother.)

Admittedly I wasn't very happy with how the next two birds turned out. They seem rather flat or off something. The one on the left is a Black Crested Titmouse (August 2022) and a European Bee Eater (September 2022). But I will go ahead and include them here.

I drew this hummingbird and bee in late September of 2022. I worked harder on shading and light and am fairly pleased with the outcome. (I gifted this one to my friend RR.)

In October of 2022 I drew this Eastern Phoebe. I was so focused on trying to get the twisted metal of the fence right that the bird itself is flat. Once again, I wasn't working hard enough on highlights and lowlights.

I thought this Carolina Wren on a tree would be interesting in December of 2022, but admittedly lost interest with the fungus on the tree. The camera catches more wrong with it than just the eye. And I had for the last three drawings been experimenting with a lighter colored sparkly paper which I finally decided was not really effective.

Returning to the darker paper color, I drew this Eastern Bluebird in December of 2022. (I gifted this one to AWK.)

I liked the iridescent pink feathers of this Broad-Tailed Hummingbird. I didn't really do it justice but I enjoyed drawing it all the same. I finished this in late December of 2022.

I drew this little Carolina Chickadee in January of 2023. I have been trying to capture the cute look of this perky little bird and feel happy with this effort.

I liked the look on this female Cardinal's face with that cock of the head, but what really attracted me to draw this picture was wondering whether I could draw ice. This was my first attempt. January 2023 (before the Texas ice storm)

I drew this Carolina Wren in late January 2023. I enjoyed working on all the branches of the tree and feel like I was able to give this image the depth it needed.

In February 2023 I decided to draw a different bird. This is a Red-Breasted Nuthatch. I really liked not only the look in its eye but also the bark of the tree. I was pleased with how it turned out.

This little Rufous on a wet branch was drawn in February of 2023. I liked the challenge of drawing the water drops after the experience of drawing the icicles. I worked hard to capture the upside down world surrounding the tree this hummer was in. I think those two drops are much better than the icicles.

This wind-swept birdy is a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. I drew it in March of 2023 at the same time I had one visiting me in my backyard. 

I drew this little Rufous (not sure why I like them so much) because I wanted to see whether I could draw the flower. Then I accidentally sat on it and bent the paper. While drawing with colored pencils means I can do art anywhere, there are aspects like this when I do something stupid. Oops. March 2023.

Also in March 2023 I drew the picture on the left of Tobin's new hedgehog, Touya. He's a lively, cute hedgie. The picture on the right I drew in February of 2022 of Tobin's previous hedgehog, Cyndaquil, who was a little fatty. When the two pictures are put side by side, I feel one can really see the improvement in my skills. Also, Touya just has a lot more character than Cyndaquil ever did. I'm also pleased with how Tobin's hand turned out.

I liked the stern look of this stately Cardinal. I drew him last month (March 2023) and was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. 

And this Black-Chinned Hummingbird drinking nectar from this Mimosa flower is my last drawing finished at the end of March 2023. 
And that gets this blog caught up. Admittedly there have been a couple of drawings that ended so poorly that I haven't included them. I refer to them as my art therapy.