Backyard Birds: Hummingbird’s Grace

Hummingbirds love fragrant flowers, and there are few flowering shrubs with as much allure as the Hot Lips Salvia. Hundreds of perfect blooms call to nearby hummingbirds to feast. This is why I planted these shrubs around my yard, especially near the glider loveseat where I sit while enjoying a sunny day in my garden.

On one hot summer day, I watched a beautiful hummingbird with his iridescent red neck feathers delicately drinking from the tiny red salvia flowers. I noticed his graceful movements and long tongue gently drinking from one flower to the next. I thought about how his every move was intentional, a slight shift of his feathers and he’d float to the left or right. He never drank from the same flower twice and I’m sure he knew exactly which of the 300 flowers had nectar inside it. His actions were in part instinctual, partly learned from his parents, and partly his keen senses driving him to do more than just survive, he was thriving.

Reconnecting with my creative past has been similar to that of the hummingbird. By tapping into my creative instincts and connecting to periods of my life when I studied the arts, I have enhanced my abilities and can thrive once again. I’m certainly not as graceful as the hummingbird, but I do feel a sense of grace while I work at my craft.

A few things are unique about this sketch that you might be interested in.

First, this is the only sketch in the series that was not drawn from a single image. I used multiple images of Hot Lips flowers and shrubs and combined them with images of hummingbirds in flight around my yard. While this is not the only one in the series drawn in color, it was created using watercolor pencils and has a pale blue color in the background.

I documented this sketch as I created it so I could share its evolution with you all. I have only done this for a few of the sketches in this series.

This is the eighth sketch in my Backyard Bird series, titled Hummingbird’s Grace. Interested in purchasing a limited edition matted print of this graceful hummingbird? Click here to see print availability.

If you like this sketch, the story behind it, or something I’ve shared helped you discover something about yourself, I’d love to hear about it. Follow me on social media and subscribe to my posts to see what comes next in the Backyard Birds series!