ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Love the sketches Woody espec. little owl with attitude and the landscape is a peach of atmospheric painting
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From Woody's 2007 sketchbook (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Woody
- Start date
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
Love all the owls, don't know what you did to the barn owl to make it give you the cold shoulder, he's only looking at you once, not like the little at all, I can feel those eyes penetrating through me from here!
The landscape is truly, as Deborah said, the essence of a British wet summer.
The landscape is truly, as Deborah said, the essence of a British wet summer.
Woody
Well-known member
Day two opened to heavy rain which had been just about continuous throughout the night. Either bravely or stupidly I got out by about 5.30 but the weather was too much even for me. I retreated to the 'games barn'. The rain had brought out the toadlets in huge numbers and the little devils were everywhere, including in the barn. I spent a while rounding them up and sticking them in a bucket before releasing them outside. I sketched one and watched the rain for a while. After a brief interlude back at the cottage for a cup of tea and a slice of toast I ventured out a little later as the rain had eased to not quite torrential. A GSW was calling from one of the exposed snags and under the shelter of a cedar tree I managed a couple of quick sketches. The rooks in the rookery were active despite the rain so another quick landscape seemed in order. When I arrived back at the cottage I had a treat when I spotted a weasel stalking a blackbird around the pond, what a fabulous creature!
The rest of the day was spent indoors with board games, lots of tea and biscuits and, in the barn, a table tennis tournament which, I'm pleased to say I won!
Woody
The rest of the day was spent indoors with board games, lots of tea and biscuits and, in the barn, a table tennis tournament which, I'm pleased to say I won!
Woody
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Woody
Well-known member
Day three was almost as wet as the previous day. The fox cubs were playing in the cedar tree field and I watched their antics for a while before tramping off to the fish pond to wait for the kingfisher. Sitting still, well concealed and camo'ed, the rain began to drip down the back of my neck. The kingfisher appeared and disappeared just as quickly and I'll admit I began feeling a bit peeved at my luck at that point. As I gave up on the kingfisher and stood to relieve the ache in my legs I spotted the barn owl hunting the paddocks again. A couple of quick sketches later and she was off. I'd found a pair of little owls in another old 'stag' oak earlier and I went off to see what I could get. One of the birds was there, perched at the top against a background of elder berries. The pattern of the berries was echoed by the plumage of the owl and I reckon that observation might make a painting.
Spent the rest of the day fishing, eating, drinking tea and generally enjoying quality family time.
Woody
Spent the rest of the day fishing, eating, drinking tea and generally enjoying quality family time.
Woody
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Woody
Well-known member
The next day I was greeted by drizzle and a wind that drove it horizontally across the farm, a typically lovely day for august 2007! Undaunted I set off for the paddocks at around six. The barn owl was again hunting from the many posts put up to carry the electric fencing which keeps the horses where they're put. The strong wind meant that the barnie had to hang on hard and face into it or else be blown into suffolk. I watched her and sketched her for over an hour, during which time she caught nothing.
Woody
Woody
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Woody
Well-known member
Day five followed a similar theme to all the previous days; Heavy drizzle and wind. I watched the foxcubs and walked around the perimeter of the farm (that's 700 acres, and quite a long walk). I watched hares in the recently harvested fields and saw footprints of muntjack and roe deer, caught glimpses of sparrowhawk and even what might have been quail! Then it was back to the little owl oak for a longer session. The drizzle kept both birds relatively quiet but, combined with the wind, made sketching conditions often 'challenging'.
I spent some of the day painting (Hares) and helping my daughter, Beth, to paint a deer. More tea drinking, fishing, badminton, snooker, table tennis, crosswords, sleeping, eating and laughing. This is what life's all about!
Woody
I spent some of the day painting (Hares) and helping my daughter, Beth, to paint a deer. More tea drinking, fishing, badminton, snooker, table tennis, crosswords, sleeping, eating and laughing. This is what life's all about!
Woody
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Woody
Well-known member
At last on our final day the rain eased and even stopped from time to time! I tracked down the tree where I had been hearing young kestrels and discovered three juveniles still being fed by the adults. The main prey item seemed to be worms and, as there were three well grown young, I guess the rain must be good for something. I spent almost all my sketching time with the kestrels, regretting that I hadn't found them earlier in the week and that the weather hadn't been kinder. A brief fly past by the barnie prooved to be the last I would see of her for this year.
Woody
Woody
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nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
What can I say, you were certainly in your element, and your expertise with owls is evident. I particularly like the little owl crouched towards us on one leg, but I particularly like them all. I've never had the good fortune to watch a barn owl, I've seen a few, usually late winter afternoons on coastal marshes, flying up from behind a bank, a quick hover then off they go. The landscape is wonderful too. Looking forward (read I insist) to seeing some of these turned into paintings!
Andrew Ellis
Well-known member
Beautiful body of work Woody! The little owl on your first day of sketches is great
like a severe little wizard looking out from his castle! You got to paint that.
and the series of Barn owl studies of her still hunting from a perch in the wind
on day 4 are fantastic they would make fantastic colour studies, or a full painting.
looking forward to some finished pieces from this trip.
like a severe little wizard looking out from his castle! You got to paint that.
and the series of Barn owl studies of her still hunting from a perch in the wind
on day 4 are fantastic they would make fantastic colour studies, or a full painting.
looking forward to some finished pieces from this trip.
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
The sketches are superb Woody, love the Kestrels and looking forward to seeing what developes
On-Firecrest
Stuck in a Rutt
them owls are a bit classy!
timwootton
Well-known member
Have just been released from the marital bed after almost four days of torture (Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm) and I only have time to comment on one of the many outstanding threads which are continuing apace - it simply has to be this one. Woody - I personally feel you are now moving onto another plane - your observational fieldwork is filled with such an empathic response, brilliantly fluid and stuffed with that creative touch! You have brought to life a wonderful family holiday, full of fun, birds, family and, er, weather! - Great journalism - fabulously illuminated. Many thanks.
I get the feeling the sooner our two families get a holiday in Arthur's Kingdom together - the better! Happy Anniversary!!!
And Deborah - thank you so much - great time had by all (allegedly).
I get the feeling the sooner our two families get a holiday in Arthur's Kingdom together - the better! Happy Anniversary!!!
And Deborah - thank you so much - great time had by all (allegedly).
jomo
Well-known member
Too many gems here to mention them all, some fantastic observations (and some great narrative to go with it, as always)! Wish I had the cooperative owls you have, only fleeting glimpses for me unless its too dark for anything but some unrecognizable scribbles by moonlight!
Woody
Well-known member
Thanks for the comments everyone.
I really had a great time in norfolk, despite the appalling weather! The whole family enjoys the week hugely, there is something for each of us and the farm where we've stayed for the past four years has become a special place for us all.
I will, no doubt, develop some of these sketches and I'll keep evryone up to date as I do, trouble is I'm back to the day job now and it tends to suck all the creative energy out of me. Could be that it's time for a major change. Anyone looking for a children's book illustrator?
Woody
I really had a great time in norfolk, despite the appalling weather! The whole family enjoys the week hugely, there is something for each of us and the farm where we've stayed for the past four years has become a special place for us all.
I will, no doubt, develop some of these sketches and I'll keep evryone up to date as I do, trouble is I'm back to the day job now and it tends to suck all the creative energy out of me. Could be that it's time for a major change. Anyone looking for a children's book illustrator?
Woody
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ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Love the character of these last sketches Woody, no rain I see though
deborah4
Well-known member
Hi Woody
You may be able to help me ... I have to design a Pantomime poster for Dick Wittington - deadline end Oct - I hate doing anything like this so if you have any suggestions for images/ideas etc, would appreciate it!
(bet you wished you hadn't posted up the kids illustrations now!)
You may be able to help me ... I have to design a Pantomime poster for Dick Wittington - deadline end Oct - I hate doing anything like this so if you have any suggestions for images/ideas etc, would appreciate it!
(bet you wished you hadn't posted up the kids illustrations now!)
