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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Bienvenue 'chez Nick' (1 Viewer)

Great to see the new thread Nick, the plastic guard protecting the wall behind the desk made me smirk, I had to repaint the kitchen wall here not so long ago at Linda's behest, though I liked the sepia splashes and paynes grey smudges on hte wall previously! The Chamnois comp in in danger of being lifted by Bateman, whilst the rest of it is great to see, so much going on, the LSW collage is a standout for me, though the simplicity of the Kestrel grabbed me too...
First proper spring day here on Stockholm, threatened double degree figures, so I'm off for geese at Hjälstaviken and a bit of sketching with John Costello, whos trying to get started with fieldwork. Been cold here but the recent birding has been fantastic, imagine theres a lot going on in france right now, look forward to seeing theresults here of spring.
All the best with the new studio Nick...
 
Just stopping by to drop off the latest painting, some garganey and teal seen yesterday. I always used to paint the picture the same day, or the day after, so annoying that with limited time, most of the ideas get painted weeks or months after the event and so many more simply get abandoned, this scene was irresistible!
 

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Just stopping by to drop off the latest painting, some garganey and teal seen yesterday. I always used to paint the picture the same day, or the day after, so annoying that with limited time, most of the ideas get painted weeks or months after the event and so many more simply get abandoned, this scene was irresistible!

Irresistably draws my retina....WOW!

The spontaneity shows Nick, love the brush srokes, a really top drawer piece...

Should be seeing these here in about four weeks, this makes me look forward very much to spring, cheers!
 
Irresistably draws my retina....WOW!

The spontaneity shows Nick, love the brush srokes, a really top drawer piece...

Should be seeing these here in about four weeks, this makes me look forward very much to spring, cheers!

They seem to be passing through in good numbers compared to last year when I only had one male seen twice in a week at the end of April. There were about 30 in the region yesterday.
 
Irresistably draws my retina....WOW!

The spontaneity shows Nick, love the brush srokes, a really top drawer piece...

Should be seeing these here in about four weeks, this makes me look forward very much to spring, cheers!

marvellous image- and very disciplined with the browns: I've always had mental image of Garganey with richer chestnut brown head than the real thing

its the spring cycle alright

about end Feb I start to get impatient with Shoveler, thinking ooh there will be Garganey soon

then nothing happens

then some dynamic Derry Garganey blast into view week 2 March

then I see a sleepy drake somewhere in Suffolk a few weeks later

fingers crossed
 
marvellous image- and very disciplined with the browns: I've always had mental image of Garganey with richer chestnut brown head than the real thing

its the spring cycle alright

about end Feb I start to get impatient with Shoveler, thinking ooh there will be Garganey soon

then nothing happens

then some dynamic Derry Garganey blast into view week 2 March

then I see a sleepy drake somewhere in Suffolk a few weeks later

fingers crossed

Had to think of this as I went to bed last night reading Tunnicliffe's 'Winter Shoreland Diary' and he talked about and drew the Garganeys that arrived on March 1 many years ago. I've learned a lot about these beautiful birds over last couple days.
 
This is a really great piece, Nick! I love your use of neutralized colors, and the composition is very engaging and interesting.
 
After having heard about a jack snipe and a bittern on my patch, the alarm went off at five again - an ambition fulfilled, sketching a jack snipe on the ground, though he was still a bit too distant to get any good detail (as my photo shows!) Right, one more gin and tonic, then a nap! Oh, the bittern showed too, I'll post him later!
 

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Congrats on the jacksnipe - and on the drawings which are superb. Love the photo - difficult to get these pin-sharp . . . . ;)
 
Congrats on the Jack Snipe Nick, seems many of these long awaited species are now turning up for you. Thats good as we get to see the sketches, these are very nice, which as just as well, given that the photo might be of a Caspian Snowcock....;)
 
I think caspian snowcock would have at least been a bit more than a few pixels! Painting on the way - splash on some mess, then pick out the bits I want.
 
Good morning everybody. Just stopping by to share a few of the joys of spring this year, garganey are going through in unprecedented numbers, managed to see a flock of 23 the other day, plus smaller groups on most of the places I watch. My first 'on the ground' jack snipe painting! hooray! Cranes have been easier to see this year with one stubble field regularly holding up to about ten birds and then there are snipes, ruffs, lapwings and water pipits - all very lovely indeed - which is why my apartment is such a filthy hole, no time to put the hoover round! :t:
 

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a bittern has spent the past few days on my patch - which is quite quite purple now - as there is also a long-eared owl nesting in full view - will have to make the most of it before the leaves grow over. What with the jack snipe, a spotted crake and the return of the grey-headed woodpecker, I'm quite enjoying my little area of gravel pits.

The rooks are for the book.
 

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And now you're at it too! Waking me from Winter slumber with a cold bucket of genius! Damn, I've got to get my brushes out again...

Mike
 
. . . not arf - these works take you gently by the throat, slap you around the senses whilst simultaneously snog your face off!!! Incredible - simply incredible. The snipe pic is flooded with that amazing Derry spring light and the rooks act as a perfect counterpoint to this image (there's even a face-on red-throated diver masquerading as a building in this piece). Superb!
 
. . . not arf - these works take you gently by the throat, slap you around the senses whilst simultaneously snog your face off!!! Incredible - simply incredible. The snipe pic is flooded with that amazing Derry spring light and the rooks act as a perfect counterpoint to this image (there's even a face-on red-throated diver masquerading as a building in this piece). Superb!

Just about every spring solstice I hear Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring' on the radio. I find it stunning every time I hear it. And then I think, why isn't there some sort of wildlife art that is as modern and of the time and yet still true to nature. Where's the visual portrayal of spring that has this same vibrancy? Well here's the answer!

Sheer exhuberance. Have to come back later for a closer look. Both you and Tim seemed to have arrived full force this week!
 
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