Hey, birdwatchers! A little birdie told me you'd love this book.

It's a delightful thrill to look out your window and see a shock of red cardinal. Or hummingbirds—"glittering fragments of rainbows" to John James Audubon—zinging around your fuchsias.

Well, trade in your bird-watching binoculars for a brush! This cheery book features the exciting techniques of Sherry C. Nelson, MDA, who has painted and taught wildlife art for 25 years. In 11 step-by-step projects, she'll show you how to paint some of America's most beautiful garden birds—bluebirds, goldfinches, chickadees, woodpeckers and other fine feathered subjects.

Stroke by stroke, you'll learn how to paint the perfect eye, the delicate texture of feathers, distinctive markings and much more. Sherry also shares her secrets to painting lively settings, such as daisies, morning glories, tree trunks, picket fences and tin watering buckets.

Sherry breaks down her instruction to help you learn quickly and easily. Each painting project is demonstrated in about 20 steps and features a line drawing for you to transfer, materials list (she uses oils), paint mixes, field sketches and reference photographs. It's never been easier to paint all those songsters you've been admiring in your own backyard!