Close-up photography of nature.

Bee in Eucalyptus Blossom, Art Journal spread by Ryn Shell

To Make a Prairie by Emily Dickenson

"To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,
One clover, and a bee.
And revery.
The revery alone will do,
If bees are few."

I can recall, reluctantly, learning this poem in school. Although I loved poetry, this fell flat back then because I had no idea what this reverie business was.

Working through the photos I took with my new-second hand lens and I cannot believe the close up quality.

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Rare White Sparrow in Ryn Shell Original Artwork
​from Reference Photo by Dawn Duty of View of a Pixie Photography

I have been told that white sparrows signal good luck and if you soo one you should make a wish. I'll wish for the bird's survival, for many don't survive. As they lack pigmentation, they also lack the ability to camouflage themselves well against predators—unless they are in a snowscape. They might also be rejected by parents and potential mates. 
The images I was given permission to pain came from talented photographer Dawn Duty of View of a Pixie Photography. The bird has Leucistic traits.  Dark eyes and wing markings differentiate this sparrow from the albino.  In the video, I'd created of my painting this bird in pastel, I'd originally drafted in a pair to paint. Then, when I researched the birds and found out how rare it was, I changed the painting to feature only the one bird. 

Leucism (/ˈluːsɪzəm, -kɪz-/) is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. It is occasionally spelled leukism.

Albinism is a condition in which there is an absence of melanin, which gives color to the skin, feathers, hair and eyes. Vertebrates with albinism are not only white (or sometimes pale yellowish) in color but they also have very pale eyes, often pink or red in color as the blood vessels show through.

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This is the lens that took these photos today. 

That bee picture is amazing. It is clearer than my eyes focus on the bee.

I'm having fun creating original artwork from this flowering gum and bee.