Hummingbird and Salvia

I love this little hummingbird watercolor painting! It's one where everything just turned out right! If you'd like to see the painting being painted, click here for the painting tutorial.

Thuya Gardens in Maine is a magical place. You walk up long mossy stone steps that look out over Northeast Harbor. Then you turn away from the sea to fern paths and the smell of balsams. The next steps take you into a Japanese garden with intricately raked paths and clipped evergreens. At the very heart of the garden are two of the most perfect rows of cottage garden exuberance. More colors and scents than it's possible to take in, ruled by an old gnarled apple tree. And in this wonderland of the most beautiful flowers you've ever seen, you suddenly realize you're being buzzed by hummingbirds. Tiny, pingpong ball round hummingbirds. They are everywhere. They're sitting still on the zinnias, perched on tall swaying rudbeckias and most of all, drinking from the salvias. Thuya is truly a magical garden, the most beautiful one I've ever been to.

This watercolor painting glows with the life and color of the garden. The hummingbird pauses for just a minute, drinking nectar in this wonderland before the long journey south. The wings blur, the air hums and the color and scent of nectar fill the air. It's a reminder to drink in life and savor the sweetness.

It's cold here right now in February but I can almost taste the air and see the promise of summer. This little hummingbird will return every year for the blossoms on Mount Desert Island.