Friday 31 October 2014

Quick and dirty

I've had a very jolly time producing some last minute slides for a talk on Japan and South Korea.   Strictly no fiddling about with the details- just a speedy drawing with a charcoal stick, finger smudging to get some tones and textures going and let any mess lie where it falls.  Then grabbed onto the computer and few layers of transparent colour added by digi-brush    


Siberian Rubythroat




Siberian Rubythroat
Chinese Grey Shrike and Great Grey Shrike

Short-tailed Albatross



Tuesday 23 September 2014

Tuesday 12 August 2014

It's that time of year again..

when godwits return, Hobbies fledge, and I submit work to the Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition (SWLA) for near-certain rejection.

Maybe this year I will sneak one in- last time I had one that got a "nearly accepted" sticker, with a kind note telling me that it was booted for having a crap frame.  So this year a new framing strategy is in place!

Of course, there are other wildlife art societies and exhibitions out there,  but for the most part they are looking for tigers and wolves painted off photos etc.  So SWLA remains the one too strive for...




Sunday 22 June 2014

Still at it

Happy news on the painting front.  I was kindly invited to show some pictures over last weekend, with encouragement to keep things cheerful (and cheap).  So I rattled these out extra-quick, based on recently seen local birds and lo- sold several of them.  So a lesson hopefully learned:  onward!


Friday 2 May 2014

Potato amongst the parsnips:

Here's a spudddy Black-tail almost hidden amongst the tapered forms of the Bar-tails.  There's only a few lightly-marked female Bar-tails left today, after the flock dropped in earlier in the week- the males and one accompanying Knot pushed-off overnight.





Saturday 19 April 2014

Potwits:

Godwits feeding out of a saucepan this morning!

Monday 14 April 2014

Littlewits and largewits:

Well female godwits are supposed to be bigger…but by this much?  I say good luck to green orange - lime.

Thursday 20 March 2014

Never mind them godwits:

here's a neatly positioned pair of Mistley pigeons.


Saturday 15 March 2014

Wigeon in the wind:

Blustery March- here's a just done painting of some Wigeon feeding along happily with the wind bending their tails and lifting their scaps.
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Sunday 9 March 2014

Half football whole eagle:

Here's a faded halfball from the 2002 World Cup and lo- far behind it sits something big on the ice.




The rising sun just bouncing off the beak and feet of the beast and off the top floor of the matchingly massive apartment block 201. 

Saturday 15 February 2014

Hello blue sky:

Here's a pencil portrait of a Black-tailed Godwit catching some light.

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Ice bandits:

Next painting from South Korea is done:  a pair of Scaly-sided Mergansers camped out on a part-frozen river.  Still pretty much my favourite birds of all- wild, rare and super-smart.


Sunday 9 February 2014

Respect to sperm counters

Well someone has to do it.  I've spent a bit too long today counting black specks on screen in an effort to tally the godwit flock, and so I can empathise with them heroic laboratory toilers.

For once a hunting Peregrine was welcome at the roost, as it put up the godwits, sliced thru' flock but failed to kill any and kept them close packed enough for an individually countable shot.

I reckon 2875 today (unless anyone counts these pics different…challengers are welcome to higher resolution versions of the photo!) compared to an on-the-ground photocount of 2500+ also today.  






Friday 7 February 2014

It happens every year:

but still exciting when the first breeding plumage BT Godwits start to emerge from the pack: here's a digi of the smartest in a monstah flock of 2,760+ today.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Big and tall:

Just finished a big vulture and tall crane painting from South Korea.  As I watched them, I had a simpler and hazier image in mind, concentrating on the interlocking shapes and ignoring all the texture and detail in the vegetation.  So this one might yet have to be re-done!  But here it is for now whilst it gets pondered on.

Sunday 26 January 2014

Venus de Pork:

Only in Korea- renaissance art as centrepiece of a vulture feeding station.    Best to wait for freezing temperatures before trying to replicate this at home folks.