Thursday 6 August 2009

Well the Macaw painting I started a couple of days ago is finished. I am amazed I managed to finish it so quickly, seeing as I am about to embark on holiday and in the process of moving house. I am really pleased with the result. I think the 'half-finished' look works well, drawing the eye to their faces and the way they are interacting with each other. I am very pleased with the vibrancy of the watercolour. The pigments do the bright red and blue feathers justice.

I have been looking at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation website today. The 2010 artist of the year competition is already calling for entries. I may well decide to enter one of my Macaws in the 'Endangered Species' category if I do not produce another appropriate subject.

Tuesday 4 August 2009

Work in progress...

As you may have guessed from viewing the beginning of this blog, and hopefully my online portfolio, my main subjects are Birds. Recently I have tried my hand at painting Macaws. They are incredible subjects to paint, mainly due to their beautifully vibrant feathers and cheeky personalities. Above is a new image started today which consists of two Green Wing Macaws sitting together. So far all I have done is add red watercolour to a wet sketch, then adding water to highlight certain feathers and black ink for shadow.
I am focussing on their upper bodies, and will experiment with a loose, almost half-finished look. This is something I have not tried before. Most of my paintings include the entire form and are fully coloured. Check back soon to see how this one goes!

Sunday 2 August 2009

Welcome!


Welcome to my new blog! I am a complete newbie when it comes to 'blogging' so bare with me!

I use watercolour and ink to paint wildlife and domestic birds and animals. I usually refrain from including a background, as I feel the white space of the paper adds a contemporary edgeand puts all focus on the subject. I splat the colour onto the page, which emphasises the colours and energy of the fur or feathers.

I plan to mainly use this blog as a platform to showcase my paintings as I create them. I will eventually have a website (which I am in the process of constructing) but in the meantime, please visit my online portfolio using the link on this page