Knock Wood

A few years back I had the good fortune to be a guest resident artist in the Smoky Mountains. While there and in addition to my painting, I found time to hike about and enjoy the local flora and fauna. It was on such a ramble that I first spotted this magnificent bird. The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest type of woodpecker in North America. It is big, beautiful, and noisy. In fact, one will often hear these birds from a distance. They look dark when perched in a tree but when flying, their bright white wings are easily seen. These birds are found year-round in Tennessee, and now they also inhabit two of my paintings. One is here, fully rendered and the singular subject of my effort in oil, called Knock Wood. The second is in my painting, The Spirit of the Smokies. In that effort, my wood knocking friend is more difficult to spot, but if you look closely you will find him. I hope you enjoy my newest addition to Animal Accents, and as always thank you for sharing my adventures in art.