Weird Feet

I have taken advantage of not having to work during the half term, and got stuck into another watercolour. Recently I have moved away from using the inks which I relied on during my early work. I worry that they are just not lightfast enough, and I have to say the Windsor and Newton watercolour set I have, produce such rich and vibrant colours.

Earlier in the year my Mum and I took our cameras over to Regent's Park in London. Apart from a huge variety of waterfowl, the lakes there are absolutely teaming with Coots! They are such funny characters, and I find their weird feet fascinating! They are certainly not just black blobs of feathers. I emphasised the deep indigos in this painting to make the overall subject more eye-catching. It also contrasts really well with the jet black head and bright red eye.
So, what next? I have dug out some great photographs of insects, so watch this space for something a little different.

Froggy!

I felt like doing something a little different this weekend. Instead of painting yet another bird, I decided to create this little fella.
My mum took some great photos of frogs in the breeding season earlier this year. I used one as the basis for this composition. I elaborated with the markings a bit, as the dark spots and stripes on common frogs are quite beautiful. The splats of ink around the body help highlight the key colours in the frog's skin and give the painting some energy. I finished by adding a hint of water around his head, so it didn't look like he was flying through the air!
All in all i'm quite proud of this image. It might not be a commercial hit, but I think it could raise a few smiles.

Giraffe Calf

At last I have found the time to paint again. It has been nearly six weeks since the last! I am very pleased with the outcome of this. Usually after a long period of not drawing it is difficult to get back into the swing of things, but with this giraffe it felt easy and comfortable; a pleasant surprise!
This is my first Giraffe youngster, and I have to say they are not an easy subject to paint. They have quite unusual muscle structure. I think my favourite area to paint was the mane. All it took was a smooth line of paint flicking with a brush to give that hairy effect.
This painting can also be seen on my website under the 'wild animals' gallery section. All four galleries are up, and a 'landscape' gallery will follow shortly.

The website is up!

www.samharveyart.co.uk

At last I have managed to get the beginnings of my website up and running. As a whole, it is not much to look at yet,but the first of the galleries can be viewed. 'Wild Birds' is the first on offer, and it is a mixture of both old and new work. Of course more will be added as it is produced.
I aim to get the other galleries up this weekend, namely 'domestic birds', 'wild and domestic animals' and 'Koi'. Then I can begin to spruce up the 'look' of the site. Keep checking back to see how it is coming along!

In other news, both my Lapwing (pictured) and Egret (see previous posts) will be featured and for sale in the 'Art for All' exhibition at the WWT reserve in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. The exhibition runs from 1st November to 6th January. Check out their website for more info...www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/slimbridge/wildlife-art-gallery

Well it has been over a month since I last updated this blog. So much has happened I have barely had enough time to pick up a paintbrush!
I have moved house to South Woodford; a lovely little suburb of East London near Epping Forest. I hope to get out and see the forest in a couple of weeks. It will be a great place to go for reference photography.
I visited Brittany in France for a week. The weather could have been better, but it was good to have a break. The fascinating wave-beaten groynes in the photo here were taken on a beach in the South of the region.

I have also finally found a full time job after three months of unemployment. Until my art takes off (which I still hope will happen one day soon) I have to rely on Admin work to pay the bills. Unfortunately it does mean I have less time to work on my painting, but what can you do!

Also, I have started work on my website, which can be found at www.samharveyart.co.uk. This will be completed asap, and will be a great place to view a gallery of my work. Keep checking back for updates!

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!