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Ed's thread (2 Viewers)

This thread is a bit like one of those cave-roosting bats wintering in northern US- weeks of torpidity and then just a little pump of blood into the vital organs keep it alive

had a great afternoon yesterday- about an hour ambling around Andrew Haslen's gallery (I guess there will be some fans of his in the forum), exhibitions by David Bennet downstairs and Robert Greenhalf upstairs, and pretty much every book ever published or illustrated by Ennion on the shelf to browse through, even the history and archaeology books

then got home and noticed a Buzzard sneaking into roost at the end of the garden last thing, still there today AM when chased out by two crows as per attched image, done at high speed but using real paint..

also the Nodshank has had another outing- birds added at Nodmeister's command to create more of a just-leaving-the-roost atmosphere
 

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Truly exceptional this kind of PC composition Ed!
I love the newest addition of the fellows in Background!!
Buzzard-crows sketch-managed much to show with few strokes!!

spizaetos
 
This thread is a bit like one of those cave-roosting bats wintering in northern US- weeks of torpidity and then just a little pump of blood into the vital organs keep it alive

had a great afternoon yesterday- about an hour ambling around Andrew Haslen's gallery (I guess there will be some fans of his in the forum), exhibitions by David Bennet downstairs and Robert Greenhalf upstairs, and pretty much every book ever published or illustrated by Ennion on the shelf to browse through, even the history and archaeology books

then got home and noticed a Buzzard sneaking into roost at the end of the garden last thing, still there today AM when chased out by two crows as per attched image, done at high speed but using real paint..

also the Nodshank has had another outing- birds added at Nodmeister's command to create more of a just-leaving-the-roost atmosphere

firstly that analogy about the bats is the best i have ever heard3:)
those nodshanks have a great composition and detail, they look like the real thing!
Whats the robert greenhalf exhibition like? i was thinking of going with my mum(artist) as whenever i mention bird art she thinks of robert greenhalf and his owls.
Anyway back on topic, your arts looking great. keep it up!
 
Yes, i think the graphic is improved by the addition of the other birds - and it will remain a mystery how you manage to keep them so vibrant, using such technology - super stuff.
The buzz is perfect - an instant captured and rendered with tremendous insight and dexterity. Really ace!
Glad you enjoyed the visit to The Wildlife Art Gallery (I used to show there, many moons ago - happy days!). I have looked online at the David Bennett exhibition. Previously I have to confess I wasn't totally au fait with his work (although I knew his reputation) - having seen this collection I am now an ardent fan. His oils particularly are brilliantly crafted and seem to vibrate with colour - do they give this impression in the flesh?
I'll pop up the link, if that's ok?
http://www.wildlifeartgallery.com/pages/exhibitions/david_bennett.html
 
Glad you enjoyed the visit to The Wildlife Art Gallery (I used to show there, many moons ago - happy days!). I have looked online at the David Bennett exhibition.

...His oils particularly are brilliantly crafted and seem to vibrate with colour - do they give this impression in the flesh?
I'll pop up the link, if that's ok?
http://www.wildlifeartgallery.com/pages/exhibitions/david_bennett.html

Hello all- interesting to see them in the link Tim, as the images shown there are waaay less contrasty and saturated than the originals. May be my monitor of course, but I don't think so- the first otter on the link for example- was much more intense in orginalo.

Some jolly fine oils- in particular a Whooper with some Pochard, but one or two of the oils I thought looked a bit flat in the sense that no feeling of front-to-back distance - the Black Grouse pic on the link being an example. That my just be a matter of personal preference/ignorance on my part though.

My personal favourites were crayon and watercolour jobs- some gave me that real tingle down the spine feeling when you see something utterly brilliant. The Redshank and Short-eared Owl pic (see your link) was one of my favourites- wonderful sense of buoyant flight in the owl and the shanks just dropping back into roost.

As for Robert Greenhalf, nice to see but I must confess that I found them a bit subdued having wandered upstairs to them from the Bennett stuff downstairs. Just a bit less light in them, a bit more sense that they had been put together in the studio.
 
Fascinating critique, Ed. I agree with your assessment about the life and light in his work - I really am becoming more enamoured with his work the more I see it. Strange, though, that you weren't particularly taken with the black grouse painting - I think it's a stunner. Agree on the swan/pochard (page 4?) and the expression on the s-e owl is spot on.
Keep us informed of any other shows we're missing.
 
The extra nodshanks really lift the graphic, and I adore the buzzard, I love how the action comes across in the vacant spaces.

I'm a huge fan of both David Bennet and Bob Greenhalf. Sounds like it was a good show.
 
Cannot take an eye of this artforum for a moment it seems!

First of all Ed, the Greenshank piece is really super, but have to say yhe Green Pecker is a bit special. Really do like that a lot....

Nodshanks are super, really strong grapically and yet full of life, as it should be, how you do it I will probably never know...

Also, have to comment on the Short Eared/Redshanks piece, a total stunner. Also found the Sanderlings/Knots breathtaking. Tremendous colour use.
 
Ed, it's amazing how you can switch between the infinitely painstaking work on the computer to the free expression of the watercolours (or foodstuffs!). Both styles are brilliantly executed and I doff my hat to you in admiration.

Woody
 
Hello all- just back from a few days in NE Poland with three generations of the family, mostly seeking mammal beasties rather than birdies. Lots of leaves on the trees so absolutely zinging colours but couldn't see far under the canopy- we had to walk 15KM to catch up with this bison (drawing too big to scan, so grotty photo) and Pygmy Owl calling overhead by the time we got back to the road.

Not a sketching trip, but several ideas for big landscapy paintings with birds in so fingers crossed something will emerge.
 

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Hello all- just back from a few days in NE Poland with three generations of the family, mostly seeking mammal beasties rather than birdies. Lots of leaves on the trees so absolutely zinging colours but couldn't see far under the canopy- we had to walk 15KM to catch up with this bison (drawing too big to scan, so grotty photo) and Pygmy Owl calling overhead by the time we got back to the road.

Not a sketching trip, but several ideas for big landscapy paintings with birds in so fingers crossed something will emerge.

Great image this Ed, love the broken view of the Bison, gives it a great sense of movement. Super colurs too...
 
love it Ed, when you fix the bison's stare, there is a rhythmic movemen throughout. A very clever sketch, top stuff.
 
Yes, agree with the above - but make the painting as soon as you can. This drawing is full of that first hand observation, brimming with life - get this painting on the go now retain some of this and it's a winner.
Oh - good to see you back!
 
Yes, agree with the above - but make the painting as soon as you can. This drawing is full of that first hand observation, brimming with life - get this painting on the go now retain some of this and it's a winner.
Oh - good to see you back!

Yup-Nods are done, so time for a painting. Just got to work out how- watercolour pencils and wet stuff on some big paper currently appeals the most.

Meantimes by way of add-on here's scan of a Black Woodpecker sketch I did immediately after it rudely interrupted my plaintive and fruitless whistlings on the Hazelhen lure.
 

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I wouldn't call that fruitless at all, do you realise how these black woodpeckers never seem to perch! (At least for me they don't)
 
Great drawing Ed - love the line quality. It almost has a gothic feel to it, no doubt accentuated by both colour and breadth of line - very nice.
 
Ah yes! Nice Black Pecker. See lots of these, though never, ever when I am looking for one! It's very much a species that finds you when it wants to!
 
Ah yes! Nice Black Pecker. See lots of these, though never, ever when I am looking for one! It's very much a species that finds you when it wants to!

Nicely put. Mind you, there are some species I don't like to see too easily or too well, if that makes any sense at all- it kinda robs them of their aura.
 
Hello all- still chewing over images from my little foray last week- the one on the left painted without the help of computah or alocohol, came out not quite as dark and wanton as I had in mind. Then with aid of computah, the one of the right is how I wanted to paint it.
 

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superb, still want to see one of these in the wild, I don't understand it, there are plenty around in these parts, just never where I am. Certainly got that forlorn and foreboding feel to it.
 
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