Scavenger Chic

Great Blue Heron and a Frame Makeover

• By Joan
• February 13, 2017
• 2 Comments

My project today comes with a gallery of bird pictures and a couple of bird lovers. I’m using my space today to brag on my niece Caitlin and her boyfriend Bryce.

This is my niece in Alaska, elbow deep in mud filming baby shorebirds. Ever since graduating from college she has been following her passion, ornithology, studying every aspect of birds, including bird songs, flight patterns, appearance, and migration.

For the last several years she has spent  the fall months on top of the Goshute Mountains as part of a Hawkwatch  International Project.  That is where she photographed the following hawks.  Sorry Caitlin, if they are not all hawks.

Her job was to capture, band and monitor as many  Sharp-shinned hawk, red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk and American Kestrels as she could.

 You can find more about the Goshutes here and here. The second article features several of Caitlin’s pictures.

The information they gather is used for conservation while tracking migration patterns, and changes in the ecosystem.

It was up on the Goshute Mountain that Caitlin met Bryce.  Sitting around the fire one night they found that they had a lot in common…

…not only did they have a love of birds in common but they also shared the same birthday.  It wasn’t just the same birthday, it was the same year.

This is Bryce doing what he loves, monitoring and photographing birds.  This picture was taken in Nome, Alaska.

You can find out more about Bryce at his website.

Bryce also takes amazing pictures of birds. This little Yellow-breasted Chat was taken along the Boise River.

He not only photographs the birds but he also brings them to life thru his artwork.

That condensed, ‘This is Your Life’ story, which I hope I got correct (if not, I think I’m close enough), brings me to this Great Blue Heron.

We commissioned Bryce to paint this heron some time ago and we were so lucky he finally was able to fit him in.

He did a fantastic job, though my pictures don’t do him justice.

The attention to detail is amazing. 

All that artwork and photography finally leads me to my project…a thrift store frame makeover. I needed a frame for the heron.

The frame was a little beat up but overall in pretty good condition. I did think that the burlap covered area of the frame was a little dated and maybe a bit too country for a great blue heron.

The burlap covered inset popped out easily once I removed all the staples.

Here it is soaking in the kitchen sink just enough to soften the glue.

The burlap pulled off the frame nicely but left behind a glue residue which had to be sanded off.

Once sanded, the inner frame was reattached with staples.

Painted the entire frame with black chalk paint.

The black chalk paint was followed by a layer of white wax.

While the wax is still wet, rub the excess off with a rag. The wax will settle into all the nooks and crannies of the frame.

If you enjoyed the bird pictures make sure you check out Caitlin and Bryce’s instagram pages where they have hundreds of photos.

You can follow Bryce on instagram here:    https://www.instagram.com/ornithologi/

and Caitlin here:   https://www.instagram.com/cuttlebone/

You can find what they have for sale here :  http://ornithologiart.bigcartel.com/artist/bryce-robinson, but your best bet would be to contact them directly if you are interested in a print or a commissioned piece.  I’m sure they would love to hear from you.

Have a wonderful week! Stay inspired.

Shared at Wow us Wednesdays,

Talk of the Town, DIY Salvaged Junk,

Metamorphosis Monday,

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