The Abstract Bird (1 Viewer)

solitaryVSong · Sep 17, 2013

Thanks Arthur. I think I probably have more talent as a printmaker but I still like doing these watercolors. One of these days I'll get back to them. For now this nearly finished combination woodcut and linocut of the earlier White-tailed Deer, Green Heron and Wood Ducks.

Off in the distance I think I hear Ed screaming about all that perfidious, vile green...........

Bigshent · Sep 18, 2013

I always see you knocking yourself down regarding water colour paintings surely you are more than happy with the latest batch Ken :t:

abbotalefan · Sep 20, 2013

Looking good, I love the sense of place, if you know what I mean

solitaryVSong · Sep 20, 2013

Thanks Paul, Sharon.

You're probably right about my knocking myself down about watercolor Paul. I know I've come a huge distance from where I began. But I also know I'm not anywhere close to what I want and so I keep being disappointed from that perspective. Once it gets cold and it's harder to keep the windows open to rid the house of printmaking fumes I'll probably return to watercolor.

This is an unusual one in regards to place Sharon. In order to get all of the actors in I either had to include a lot of surrounding environment or use very horizontal blocks. I opted for the environment. It is one I visit at least once a week so that probably has something to do with the sense of place as well.

Finally I've finished this combination woodcut/linocut. Oddly enough all 15 prints were good so I didn't have to toss any. That never, ever happens with me. In any case here is White-tailed Deer, Green Herons and Woodcut. It's 6x8 for image and 9x11 for entire print.

abbotalefan · Sep 21, 2013

Nice finish, and congrats on getting all 15!

solitaryVSong · Oct 5, 2013

Thanks Sharon. I think you have to be a printmaker to understand the odd satisfaction of getting most of the planned edition without too many casualties along the way.

But I do think I've burnt out on printmaking momentarily so after a vacation spent searching for, identifying, photographing and very occasionally sketching birds I found when I went back into the studio yesterday that watercolor was what I had in mind.

Here are a couple of Chipping Sparrows nibbling on the seeds of an unidentified plant. Oddly enough one way to ID Chippers is the flash of white from their undersides when they fly. Of course there's no sign of it here. It's amazing what shadow and artistic license will do.

mayoayo · Oct 6, 2013

What a nice piece!------

solitaryVSong · Oct 10, 2013

mayoayo said:
What a nice piece!------

Thanks. This one almost composed itself due to the striking foliage the birds were on. This new watercolor was the opposite: a warren of twigs and leaves that hid this beautiful Lincoln's Sparrow, a bird I rarely see.

oivind egeland · Oct 12, 2013

I really like the woodcut/linocut! The little spot of blue sky works perfectly. Good job!

solitaryVSong · Oct 13, 2013

oivind egeland said:
I really like the woodcut/linocut! The little spot of blue sky works perfectly. Good job!

Thanks Oivind. That bit of blue was a last minute choice. I added it at the same time I printed the light yellow marks, first printing the light yellow, then wiping it off in that area and putting on the blue with a much smaller roller. Because I didn't wipe it off thoroughly there was always a bit of light yellow remaining and it mixed with the blue to form something unique to each print. This was not planning on my part, just something that I enjoyed trying when the opportunity presented itself.

Oh yes, I guess I also needed to add a couple of very small light areas so I carved the end of a small dowel to a half moon shape which I could rub with the inked roller. I used that then as the final step adding it on top of the blue, and in a few other spots. The more I do printmaking, and read about printmakers, the more I realize that this is common and that each print really can become a mini-monoprint, with some minor variation from print to print.

solitaryVSong · Oct 18, 2013

Seems like the season of sparrows. Here are two watercolor sketches of non-breeding Chipping Sparrows. I did the one on the left after I realized the one on the right made the bird into far more of a bulked-up bruiser than it really is. In fact I should probably do a third even slimmer one..............

Lykos · Oct 30, 2013

beautiful, love the first ...

Bigshent · Oct 30, 2013

Im glad to see you keeping the art section of BF going Ken. I like them both but having a quick google the slimmer is possibly more accurate but I like the background of the right

solitaryVSong · Nov 5, 2013

Thanks Paul, Gaby,

Just back from some birding at Cape May, NJ where I got far fewer sketches than I'd like. But my second day back and I and my wife Jerene found this handsome juvenile Osprey just a mile away. They seem to be somewhat regular here during the month of November, though this one was sitting absolutely quietly and we were lucky that we happened to notice him.

My past field sketches of them haven't been that good so today I took four quick photos before he flew. This is a ballpoint pen sketch from one of the photos with a little water color added.

Soon I hope to be back to more abstract work, and most likely prints of some sort.

solitaryVSong · Nov 12, 2013

Back to printing finally. This is a two-block, reduction woodcut. Most of the background is done on one block, then the second block is printed on top, in black then orange.

These are two Piping Plover seen at Cape May, NJ a few years ago.

It's in an edition of 12 printed with Daniel Smith water soluble inks on Rives Lightweight paper. Total print is 7x9 inches.

Sadly the photos have made the print look a bit cruder than it is.

Bigshent · Nov 15, 2013

Now that would look smart on a T shirt :t:

ARTHUR BISHOP · Nov 17, 2013

more lovely work Ken

solitaryVSong · Nov 19, 2013

Thanks Arthur, Paul.

Here's something surprisingly realistic for me, the result of spending three hours yesterday with a bird that should be 2000 miles away in Texas, a young Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. 9x12 inch watercolor.

solitaryVSong · Dec 22, 2013

Not exactly a Christmas card but instead a Christmas Bird Count sketch, based on photos and field sketches from 8 hours of a Christmas Bird Count in the Philadelphia area yesterday.

On left page a Golden-crowned Kinglet with Great Blue Heron in background; Common Mergansers at bottom. On right page, Herring Gull with newly caught fish and another Great Blue Heron with Mallards.

Bigshent · Dec 24, 2013

Again great work Ken :t: have a great Christmas sir

The Abstract Bird (1 Viewer)

Well-known member

Attachments

Biddulph Birder

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Biddulph Birder

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Biddulph Birder

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Biddulph Birder

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread