I taught myself to paint with gouache when my son gave me a Windsor & Newton starter set for my birthday in 2017. I was kindly given a large roll of paper offcuts when I visited Jealous Gallery in Shoreditch, and because it was the cut end of their screen printing paper 29cm wide, I … Continue reading New Project
Bird of the Day: Grey Wagtail
At the moment, there is a large flock of pied wagtails enjoying the insects on the arable field behind my house, and I've had 4 or 5 of them flitting around on my roof. Often in the summer, grey wagtails visit the river by the watermill down the lane. They are a really beautiful bird … Continue reading Bird of the Day: Grey Wagtail
Bird of the Day: Shelduck
Firstly, can we all take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous mint humbugness that is a Shelduck duckling: This photo was taken at Arundel WWT, which as I have mentioned before, has been formative in shaping my love of birds and birdwatching. Male shelducks are incredibly handsome, and like the eider, are seaducks so mainly … Continue reading Bird of the Day: Shelduck
Bird of the Day: Sparrowhawk
My most engaging experiences with sparrowhawks have been the handful of occasions when I have been driving along a lane or hedgerow, and a 'sprawk' has flown alongside or in front of me. They fly at hedge-height and hug the contours of the landscape as they fly, hoping to ambush an unsuspecting passerine so are … Continue reading Bird of the Day: Sparrowhawk
Swallow
I've always painted birds which are standing on the ground - I have done a few which are on a tree or branch but I don't like these so much, hence the feet. However, a swallow is so iconic in flight, I wanted to try this. It's a challenge sometimes to find a reference picture … Continue reading Swallow
