Smew redux

I haven't quite got Smew fully out of my system this winter and already spring is jangling away and hard to ignore.  So one more shot at trying to capture the sleek bustle and fizz of Smew when they wake-up and slide into the margins to hunt.

It's early days on this one.  I still can't bring myself to slow-down and neatly draw in the birds when I start, so this time I thought I would allow myself a first uncontrolled thwack at the background, then crayon in the birds to ses what was happening.  Next step is to get some richer paint on, but that will have to wait until later in the week.  

Great Grey Shrike on the hunt

Not much of a winter in these parts, but some very wintry moments.  Here's the most local Great Grey Shrike on a murderous pursuit through an old oak hedge- done with marker pen and tippex on a bit of A4 from the wastepaper basket

then glued onto a board and some dabs of paint on top

job done in 15 minutes

more Great grey Shrike images here: ed keeble's smugmug