My daughter and I have just returned from visiting the RSPB Troup Head on the Moray coast of Scotland and can recommend it to anyone interested in our seabird population. At this time of year the Gannets and Razorbills are once again clamouring for nesting sites on these spectaculour cliffs. I had hoped to get some photographs for future paintings, sadly I think to get the close up photographs I would really like; I will have to splash out on a longer lens. This site is not for people affected by vertigo and my own nervousness was made worse watching my daughter leaning out into space. I searched in vain for the Puffins although Kirsty did capture a rather blurred picture which she insists are Puffins.
I become a full time artist next week so hopefully I will find time to keep my blog more current and my output should improve markedly. The Falconry Fair looms large (May 3rd & 4th) and I have everything mounted and framed ready to go, I am really looking forward to the whole experience.
I have had a busy couple of weeks having my wildlife paintings reproduced. The process of high quality colour reproduction is one I am familiar with as I spent a large part of my life working in the reproduction of pages for printing. I guess this makes me the customer from hell at Reprotech; the people who have agreed to do the repro and run the giclees. Fortunately they are both patient and skillful and have tolerated my picky comments. Anyway the end products are very satisfying.
Having commited to occupying a stand at the British Falconry and Raptor Fair at Chetwynd Park in Shropshire which takes place on the 3rd and 4th May 2009, I have been trawling e-bay searching for a trestle table and some kind of exhibition type stand to hang wildlife paintings from. I seem to be just about sorted now. Never having done anything like this before; I am apprehensive about the salesman bit; but looking forward to just chatting to people who share my fascination for birds.
I am currently working on two bird paintings; the first is another Goshawk painting, I find these particular birds magnificent and am thrilled that their numbers are on the increase again. The other bird painting is a cockerel I saw when out driving, I know that sounds a bit random (my daughters word), but my wife has always wanted a painting of a cockerel and she has been a huge help with preparations for the fair. I will try to get some pictures at various stages of the process for anyone interested in how I work.
Visiting a falconry stand at the Yorkshire Game Fair last summer I sketched a young Harris Hawk who complained loudly the whole time I was there. I also took a couple of photographs in case I decided to develop the sketches later.
While looking through my sketchbook recently I was reminded of this character and thought I would try to capture the feisty attitude and way his eyes seemed to appraise me then dismiss me as irrelevant. The finished painting is now for sale in the Paintings section.