Sandpipers Treasure Hunt

I began by laying in the background using acrylics, I then used oils to add definition to the bird and sand and added a touch of glitter glue to give the sea shells the look of treasure. I find sandpipers fascinating to watch as they dart in and out of the waves in search of bugs and shellfish. I’ve discovered they prefer being grounded over being “flighty” with a strong desire to focus on searching for food. Due to moving so fast, they’re hard to see close up and paint in plein air. So I waited for the right time of day to capture lots of photos of the birds and their shadows and placed them exactly where I wanted them in my composition.