Rocky Mountain Magpie Ornament

Rocky Mountain Magpie Ornament

The beautiful feathers of the magpie make them fun to spot in the park

I had just as much fun painting them!
When I designed the prototype, I studied several photos of magpies. I wanted to get the body shape and feather details just right. I even mixed up a special shade of blue for these ornaments.
This ornament can be purchased at Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Sketch

Rocky Mountain Magpie Ornament Sketch

The sketch of this ornament can hardly do the ornament justice. The colors and textures just can't be shown with a sketch alone.

The Prototype

Rocky Mountain Magpie Ornament

The magpie painting started with a black body shape. I mixed up the perfect bright shade of blue to add the flight feathers and tail, then added white patches. The fun came in with the feathering detail, where I used my thinnest brush to show individual feathers and markings.

Watch Me Work

It's embarrassing to admit, but I forgot to record a video of me painting this ornament! I'll update this page to add a video when I make my next batch of magpie ornaments.

Now, discover the other ornaments in this collection:


Moose

Deer

Birch Magpie

North Star