Loose Ends.

First of all I want to draw attention to my up coming exhibition which will take place at RSPB RYE MEADS near Hoddesden Hertfordshire and runs from Sat 9th until Sun 17th November2013. The theme will be Autumn Migration, and I will have my latest works on display. I hope lots of people turn up and I hope you will come and say hi?
I particularly like autumn for the diversity of migrants that can turn up especially after an easterly or north easterly wind and I also love the vivid spectrum of brilliant hues that adorn the landscape and that give me much inspiration for my paintings and sketches! As well as watercolours I have been indulging in some coloured pencil drawings of some of the seasonal fruits that are abundant this year. I hope you enjoy looking at them?

IN SEARCH OF TURTLE DOVES.

IN SEARCH OF TURTLE DOVES.

These gorgeous birds are becoming increasingly scarce and I have found only very few this year. They still nest in one or two places in Hertfordshire and at Fowlmere in Cambridgeshire where I sometimes visit. I have seen them on the Norfolk coast and I was inspired to do some sketching with a view to presenting a finished watercolour to the RSPB in order to raise money for their appeal (operation Turtle Dove). I hope to do this soon with the co-operation of the staff at Rye Meads?(more on this later). I can not imagine the british countryside without the soft purring of Turtle Doves and if we were to lose this bird it would be a tragedy. I visited Pensthorpe in Norfolk recently where there is a captive breeding program and was immediately  transported back to my childhood and the seemingly endless summer days during school holidays. Its like the old saying 'you don't know what you've got till its gone?' Lets make sure this never happens?

Winter Wildfowl.

The season of frosts and snow sends us many visitors from the north to swell the ranks of numerous species of wildfowl that already call our islands home. I like to get out whenever I can to experience the drama and atmosphere that large flocks of birds create. The colourful plumage of many of these birds make wonderful subjects to paint and I have indulged myself with some of my favourite species in recent weeks. I love to see the birds in huge numbers out on the water or roosting on the shoreline but I prefer to paint them in small groups. I think this gives a more intimate portrait and allows more detail on small scale drawings, the birds themselves being allowed to fill up most of the composition. I hope you agree?


Shovelers.



Resting Wigeon.



Teal.



Tufties.



Browsing Mallard.



Drake Pintail.



Goldeneye.