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.

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!

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