Painted Buntings ~ "A Sunny Summer's Day" ~ "Songbirds & Friends" ~ Watercolor

This painted bunting watercolor art celebrates the most colorful bird in North America. "A Sunny Summer's Day" captures painted buntings in their full glory — electric blue heads, lime-green backs, red underparts — a palette so vivid that first-time birdwatchers often think they're seeing a tropical escapee. They're not. Painted buntings are native to the American South, and they're every bit as wild and real as the herons and cranes I paint.

I worked freehand on archival cotton rag paper with Kissho Gansai pigments from Kyoto. Painting a bird this colorful requires restraint — the temptation is to push the saturation until it looks artificial. The Gansai mineral pigments naturally prevent that. They produce deep, luminous color that glows from within the paper rather than screaming off the surface. The blue of the head was built through multiple wet-on-wet passes, each layer intensifying without losing transparency.

This is one of the standout pieces in my Songbirds & Friends collection. Where many of my songbird paintings celebrate subtle beauty — sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches — the painted buntings are unapologetically bold. "A Sunny Summer's Day" brings that boldness into your home. Painted buntings are declining throughout their range due to habitat loss and illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade in Central America. Their beauty makes them targets, which makes painting them feel like both a celebration and a form of advocacy. The Gansai pigments handle the male's vivid palette with a natural luminosity that synthetic paints can't match — the blues, greens, and reds glow rather than scream.

One of a kind. This painting radiates warmth and color — ideal for sunrooms, kitchens, and living spaces that welcome brightness. Framing options available. Free shipping, complimentary insurance, and certificate of authenticity included.

Materials:  Each watercolor original is unique, the only one of its kind. Created on 300lb Arches Watercolor Paper with Japanese Sumi-é watercolor paint designed to last a lifetime.

Framing: Each piece is elegantly presented with light grey matting in a handmade wooden frame with a grey-washed finish. UV plexiglass and archival materials ensure long-lasting preservation. Crafted with care, our frames are 1.5" deep and handcrafted from solid wood by our trusted local framer.

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Cost: Shipping is FREE for all original works up to approx. 30x40". For large artwork, we cover the first $500 in shipping costs; please email us your zip code for a quote.

Packaging: All originals are shipped flat (not rolled). For work larger than 30x40", though our boxes are plastic-reinforced, you have a choice of wood crating to ensure safe transport for an additional fee.

Schedule: Unframed work ships within 1-2 weeks, while framed pieces require 2-3 weeks for delivery. Crated and oversized works may take 4-6 weeks. If your order is time-sensitive, please leave us a note during checkout and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

International: For international shipping, please contact us directly before ordering. Provide the items you are interested in and your shipping address so we can estimate the cost and any constraints.

Insurance: We provide complimentary shipping insurance for all orders. In the event that your item arrives damaged, please document it with pictures and notify us immediately so we can initiate a claim on your behalf.