Goldfinch

Well this is the first painting I have attempted in quite a few weeks, and I am not sure I have done a great job! It will take a few trial and error pieces to get back into the swing of things.
I wanted to paint something Autumnal, and the image of goldfinches feeding on the seed heads of teasel is a common sight at this time of year. The birds cling on at all sorts of strange angles to get to the seed, and I wanted to convey this in the painting. I am happy with the colouring of the bird, as the bright red and gold feathers really stand out. I am just not sure that the feet are quite right, and I may need to add some shadow where the bird meets the teasel. The lighting is slightly questionable at the moment.

It is now time for me to get to work on my entry for the 2011 David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year competition. I am going to paint an image for the endangered category once again, and my chosen subject will be a snow leopard. It is going to be hard, but I think the mottled fur will look good in my splattered watercolours.

Long time no speaky

I have neglected both my painting and this blog for the past two months. In my defence, I have barely had a weekend free since moving house in August. It took a fair few weeks just to get everything unpacked and put in place.
However I have found some time to get out and enjoy nature. Autumn is by far the best time of year to visit woodland. I had a stroll through Epping Forest this Saturday, and it was idyllic. The reds and yellows of the fallen leaves contrasting against the green foliage was beautiful. The sun shone only too briefly, but long enough for me to get a few photographs. There was also a vast amount of different fungi bursting through the floor, which I found fascinating . Only last week the London papers reported that people were stealing crates and crates of fungi from the forest. It would be a dreadful shame if greed were to rid the forest of it's wonderful flora and fauna.
If you haven't done so already, I recommend a visit to Epping. You will find it very inspirational. It has certainly inspired me to pick up a paintbrush again and try my hand at some landscapes.