ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Love the Blue version too
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Welcome to Nick's dining room table. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter nickderry
- Start date
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
woo hoo, past the thousand mark, and unfortunately my afternoon birding didn't produce any sketches. I took the bike out now I've realised my tripod fits in my backpack, and discovered how very unfit I am that I was knackered cycling on the flat. Freezing conditions, 3 coots and a domestic greylag have moved closer to town, no sign of wallcreepers. On holiday now, yay, so must try and get plenty done.
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
Went out birding again today on the bike, this time the effort was worth it. First the ducks: more tufites than I've ever seen on the river - 21 of them. Plus a 1W male red-breasted merganser, quite a rarity here, though two have been wintering on some gravel pits about 15km away, pushed onto the river by the ice I suppose. There's a little comparison with a goosander, and for the hopelessly id challenged, a mistle thrush to compare with the tufties!
Later on the frost had started to melt around the allotments, and a few birds were beginning to feed, I nearly fell off my bike as I checked out two in a tree, two gorgeous rock buntings. This species used to breed on the rocky slopes behind this area, but had long disappeared, here's hoping they stay. Also, even more important to me perhaps were two dunnocks, believe it or not, a tick on my French list. (They are VERY shy here!) Behind all this were no less than 28 magpies together in the tops of a few trees, at one point a fieldfare landed next to them.
Later on the frost had started to melt around the allotments, and a few birds were beginning to feed, I nearly fell off my bike as I checked out two in a tree, two gorgeous rock buntings. This species used to breed on the rocky slopes behind this area, but had long disappeared, here's hoping they stay. Also, even more important to me perhaps were two dunnocks, believe it or not, a tick on my French list. (They are VERY shy here!) Behind all this were no less than 28 magpies together in the tops of a few trees, at one point a fieldfare landed next to them.
Attachments
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
and as if all that wasn't enough, the wallcreeper put on a show aswell:
the sketch of it looking up is completely overworked and quite hideous now, but I'll be able to use it to do a painting of the bird creeping on the rocks behind some branches.
the sketch of it looking up is completely overworked and quite hideous now, but I'll be able to use it to do a painting of the bird creeping on the rocks behind some branches.
Attachments
peter mathios
Well-known member
What a day!! It's amazing to me how much more your sketches show than the photograph!
buzzard12
Well-known member
All I will say is wow.... stunning set of fieldwork, love that first wallcreeper. Magpies are a triumph by the way, Peregrine is a mindblower.
...all that remains my boty is a Merry Xmas too you and all the best for 2008. Your work this year has been an inspiration...
timwootton
Well-known member
Echoing Alan's comments - inspirational work! Ending the year as you started it - with stunning contributions.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
birdpotter
Well-known member
Another echo here regarding inspirational work. Your magpies are my favorite.
They remind me of an artist from the mid-1900's, Walter Anderson, who is up there for me as one of my absolute favorites. I added a link for one of his pieces that is a study of frigate birds. There are a few studies of blackbirds that I couldn't find images of which would have made the association more apparent, but I think this one gives an idea of why the magpies reminded me of this artist.
Really love your stuff, Nick.
http://www.walterandersonmuseum.org/birds.htm
They remind me of an artist from the mid-1900's, Walter Anderson, who is up there for me as one of my absolute favorites. I added a link for one of his pieces that is a study of frigate birds. There are a few studies of blackbirds that I couldn't find images of which would have made the association more apparent, but I think this one gives an idea of why the magpies reminded me of this artist.
Really love your stuff, Nick.
http://www.walterandersonmuseum.org/birds.htm
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
Thanks for the link Beth, I wasn't familiar with this artist and I'm very glad you pointed him out, like his work a lot.
Here's my latest output, keeping busy, rock buntings and a dunnock (at last!) and a wallcreeper behind a tree, lots still to do, next one, the magpies....
Here's my latest output, keeping busy, rock buntings and a dunnock (at last!) and a wallcreeper behind a tree, lots still to do, next one, the magpies....
Attachments
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
Well, that wallcreeper must be about the size of a black woodpecker there, so he had to be buried under a bit of collage and painted over! Here he is again in his new incarnation, that I like a lot more, feels a bit more like actually watching them (they ARE small!) First with flash, second without.
Also, couldn't be a*sed spending ages fretting over the magpies, so I banged them out in a sort of "Picasso did it" sort of mood.
Also, couldn't be a*sed spending ages fretting over the magpies, so I banged them out in a sort of "Picasso did it" sort of mood.
Attachments
dryslwyn
Well-known member
Especially like the rock buntings - its got that abstracty feel again to it. Do you think this is the sort of work that would be accepted for the swla? and what do folks think about the importance of working to become a member of the society. Is it something you need to do in order to further a career in wildlife painting?
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Nick these are all stunning. Im'e going to lay back next year and just watch.
birdpotter
Well-known member
love the buntings and, man, love the magpies a whole lot.
And of course the wall creeper is very nice.
Wendy, do you mean working towards becoming a more prominent member of society? Donating time and work and things like that?
And of course the wall creeper is very nice.
Wendy, do you mean working towards becoming a more prominent member of society? Donating time and work and things like that?
dryslwyn
Well-known member
Not exactly- I was talking about the time and effort needed to be put in to become a member in the first place. I can't remember now what it entails but I think it involves having work accepted for several years and then being proposed by another member. My feeling is that for someone with Nicks talent it would be worth the effort and cost! but I could be wrong- are there well known successful bird artists out there who did not at some time become a member of the society???
timwootton
Well-known member
Plenty, Wendy. I don't think Lars Jonsson or Killian Mullarney are members (I could be wrong though). But I do think it's worthwhile pursuing it - and I think you have the selection process pretty much correct there, too. It seems that some people get in quicker than others though - which is true throughout life, I suppose.
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
According to the SWLA website, Lars and Killian aren't members (don't think they'd need to be), nor are such names as Alan Harris, James McCallum and John Threlfall (though John can't be far off with 6 works accepted this year, most of which had sold and the Birdwatch Artist of the Year). There are also many people whom I've never heard of and whose work I don't know that are members. Some of whose work just doesn't 'fit' in my eyes.
It's something that I'd like to be on the inside of. Whether it's worth the effort or not, I don't know. For me it wasn't much effort submitting last year, it was my parents that had to make four round trips to London for it, what with me being an ex-pat and all that. (Submitting work, collecting unaccepted work, going to the exhibition, collecting unsold work). Plus the cost is abhorrent, I luckily only paid £40 for each frame, which made a total cost of £300 with the submission fees. I sold one picture for £550, which after they'd taken thir 53% commission left me with what I would have originally charged for it. That's the thing I really despised, just to break even I had to double my usual prices. I'd never dream of charging £700 for a painting - it's a ridiculous amount. But then there was a pencil drawing of two snow leopards that had sold for something like £19,000!!!! Question, How do these people sleep at night? Answer, On a big pile of money.
Enough of me pointlessly rambling now, got to try and find a recipe for ginger cake and take my Saturday afternoon meds (a pint or two)!
PS Went sketching this morning, but I forgot how to draw, so there's a tentative idea for a collage of some goosanders flying over their reflections - but they ain't easy at that angle!
It's something that I'd like to be on the inside of. Whether it's worth the effort or not, I don't know. For me it wasn't much effort submitting last year, it was my parents that had to make four round trips to London for it, what with me being an ex-pat and all that. (Submitting work, collecting unaccepted work, going to the exhibition, collecting unsold work). Plus the cost is abhorrent, I luckily only paid £40 for each frame, which made a total cost of £300 with the submission fees. I sold one picture for £550, which after they'd taken thir 53% commission left me with what I would have originally charged for it. That's the thing I really despised, just to break even I had to double my usual prices. I'd never dream of charging £700 for a painting - it's a ridiculous amount. But then there was a pencil drawing of two snow leopards that had sold for something like £19,000!!!! Question, How do these people sleep at night? Answer, On a big pile of money.
Enough of me pointlessly rambling now, got to try and find a recipe for ginger cake and take my Saturday afternoon meds (a pint or two)!
PS Went sketching this morning, but I forgot how to draw, so there's a tentative idea for a collage of some goosanders flying over their reflections - but they ain't easy at that angle!
Similar threads
