Only a little sparrow

I am only a little sparrow, hardly out of the nest.  

I finally got up the courage to fly; I did my best.  

I am only a little sparrow,
A cheeky little chappy looking for a crust. 

I 'm not a dirty vagrant, I bathe daily in the dust.

I'm only a little sparrow my feathers drab and brown,

So young my feathers still have their baby down.

So don't look down your nose at me, as I scratch on dusty ground,

or I'll sit on your chimney and then you'll hear a sound,

as I chip away, my song is heard by you and all around.

the song is not like song birds, I'm really not that sort

I sing because I 'm happy, for that there's no retort!

Apologies to all poets for my silly rhyme, I hope that you will forgive me, in thyme!

I am marginally better at art and I hope you will enjoy that. 

I started out sketching in a payne's grey pencil getting down some values.  

I used a mixture of coloured pencils on 140lb Strathmore vellum for this work. 

Gradually the ruffled feathers take shape and I can start adding the colour.  I used complimentary colours for the background. Finally the colours are beginning to work together for what I hope is pleasing.

The reference is from a super photo kindly sent to me by my friend, Samuel Lannigan.