Welcome to Nick's dining room table. (1 Viewer)

birdpotter

Well-known member

• Jan 8, 2008

• #1,061

Nick, The last sequenced piece was fantastic. It looked a little touch and go for a brief moment, but you pulled it together. For me, it is exactly how I would see a small bird within a turbulent mix of greenery/ surrounding life. Nice one!

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 8, 2008

• #1,062

Not sure what's going on with my paintings at the moment, I'm doing a lot more work in them than usual: here is a redo of those windy bee eaters for a competition, not sure whether to send this one or the original..:smoke:

 

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kittykat23uk

Well-known member

• Jan 8, 2008

• #1,063

Lovely sense of movement. Which is the other one you are considering?

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 8, 2008

• #1,064

kittykat23uk said:

Lovely sense of movement. Which is the other one you are considering?

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This is the original, which I think is a hell of a lot more spontaneous, but the problem is, I think I like both equally, and now can't decide!

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/142026/ppuser/12328

 

timwootton

Well-known member

• Jan 8, 2008

• #1,065

One vote for the new version Nick - I love the brighter ceruleum, makes for a very bright, blustery summer day. Perfect.

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 8, 2008

• #1,066

I think I'll send in the new version anyway, something about doing it especially, maybe it's a subconscious thing. Shame the sun isn't like that here at the moment!

 

Woody

Well-known member

• Jan 8, 2008

• #1,067

I'd go for the new version too. It's maybe the reproduction, but the birds are more colourful in the new version, just how I imagine bee eaters to be. Not been lucky enough to see any yet though...

Mike

 

jomo

Well-known member

• Jan 9, 2008

• #1,068

I like the looser, more contrasty look of the former myself. The newer one is more cheerful, though.

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 12, 2008

• #1,069

Been quiet on the forum for the last few days as I've been balancing nighttime insomnia, seven o'clock starts and afternoon siestas with setting tests and painting. So here are the paintings:

The Goosanders started life on a painting that went wrong (remember a female goosander sitting with her chicks??) I painted over a version of it that was infinished all in black to use in a collage of goosanders (yay recycling) but then decided to use it as a base for a painting of different goosanders (yay recycling the birds now!)

The starlings are a copy of one from last year, but more realistic and less 'cubist', I may enter this one for the competition (Wildscape magazine in case anyone's going to have a go) but unless I get off my a*se and send something, I won't enter.

The pochards and tufties is a relief, I thought my days of painting groups of diving ducks were over when I moved here, thinking that tufties were rare, luckily there are usually a few on the river now.

Still got to paint that chamois, thinking about doing a wax crayon drawing with watercolour over the top, get some texture and all that.

 

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nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 12, 2008

• #1,070

And as I've now got a bike pump (rather than a straw) I inflated my tyres and actually did a 20km round trip without getting knackered before the end of the street! Shame there weren't many birds really. Little Grebes and Goosanders, the sketches for the Tufties and the Pochards above. And what I hope will be my greatest painting ever, Cormorants. (If anyone remembers Keith Shackleton's 1994 Little Egrets that won the RSPB fine art award, that's the sort of thing it looked like. So I'll be doing it in acrylic.)

 

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dryslwyn

Well-known member

• Jan 12, 2008

• #1,071

Great work nick- I think the starlings is a definate competition winner :t:

 

ARTHUR BISHOP

Well-known member

• Jan 12, 2008

• #1,072

Lovely work Nick. I like the Brighton starlings but I cant wait to see the comorants appair

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 12, 2008

• #1,073

ARTHUR BISHOP said:

Lovely work Nick. I like the Brighton starlings but I cant wait to see the comorants appair

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Brighton starlings?? They're proper Welsh, boyo, tidy! From Aberystwyth. Only been to Brighton once, though got to say the old pier there would be FANTASTIC to paint with hordes of starlings.

 

deborah4

Well-known member

• Jan 13, 2008

• #1,074

nickderry said:

Brighton starlings?? They're proper Welsh, boyo, tidy! From Aberystwyth. Only been to Brighton once, though got to say the old pier there would be FANTASTIC to paint with hordes of starlings.

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er... you might have to use a bit of artistic license Nick ... only the very end of the West Pier (the old one) is still standing, the rest is in the sea. Starlings roost in large numbers on the Palace Pier now. Totally agree though, even the remaining structure is a fantastically dark piece of iron sculpture rising from the sea. Back in the days of art college, I used to paint the multi coloured seaweed and ropes hanging from the girders underneath with the light shining through them. Now, I just love the black skeleton starkness of what's left of the Old Pier, black cormorants, starling etc against grey wintery seas - it always reminds me of the Hitchcock scene from The Birds where crows gathered on the climbing frames outside the school.

I wish I could buy it and just leave it as it is ... a sea sculpture and bird haven.

Anytime you and your partner want a return visit for a few days, let me know, you can have the floor for free

EDIT and leave any paintings you do behind :-O

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 13, 2008

• #1,075

deborah4 said:

er... you might have to use a bit of artistic license Nick ... only the very end of the West Pier (the old one) is still standing, the rest is in the sea. Starlings roost in large numbers on the Palace Pier now. Totally agree though, even the remaining structure is a fantastically dark piece of iron sculpture rising from the sea. Back in the days of art college, I used to paint the multi coloured seaweed and ropes hanging from the girders underneath with the light shining through them. Now, I just love the black skeleton starkness of what's left of the Old Pier, black cormorants, starling etc against grey wintery seas - it always reminds me of the Hitchcock scene from The Birds where crows gathered on the climbing frames outside the school.

I wish I could buy it and just leave it as it is ... a sea sculpture and bird haven.

Anytime you and your partner want a return visit for a few days, let me know, you can have the floor for free

EDIT and leave any paintings you do behind :-O

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Now that's tempting, I loved Brighton when I was there, and yes the remains of the pier are exactly as you describe. Stunning thing to look at. Birdwise, I saw little, as my ex decided he couldn't follow my very simple directions and we ended up at some rather pretty (but for me very disappointing compared to egrets and waders) restored railway line. Hmmm, oh well I saw a Chaffinch!

 

birdpotter

Well-known member

• Jan 13, 2008

• #1,076

The starlings are so interesting, Nick. The goosanders and diving ducks are wonderful. BUT what I am really excited about is that cormorant piece. Like I said before, I am terribly attracted to cormorants.
I love the composition of the sketch you've made.

Can't wait!

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 13, 2008

• #1,077

birdpotter said:

The starlings are so interesting, Nick. The goosanders and diving ducks are wonderful. BUT what I am really excited about is that cormorant piece. Like I said before, I am terribly attracted to cormorants.
I love the composition of the sketch you've made.

Can't wait!

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I'd forgotten about that one already, got paintings of hen harriers, roe deer and marsh tits to be getting on with aswell, grr why does Monday come along and spoil all the fun! I'll get on with it asap, promise!

 

peter mathios

Well-known member

• Jan 14, 2008

• #1,078

Incredible movement in the starlings! That is a brilliant painting. Like Beth, I am looking forward to the cormorant piece. The sketch is wonderful!!

 

Woody

Well-known member

• Jan 15, 2008

• #1,079

Where're the cormorants Nick? I was hoping they'd be done by now knowing your incredible workrate. Anyway I'm looking forward to seeing the finished piece(s).

Mike

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jan 15, 2008

• #1,080

Woody said:

Where're the cormorants Nick? I was hoping they'd be done by now knowing your incredible workrate. Anyway I'm looking forward to seeing the finished piece(s).

Mike

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Would you believe that yesterday I did no painting, but got all the housework done!? o Now that's out of the way, today and tomorrow should see some painting. Cormorants, and then hen harriers.