[Moulty]

Hi All,
Been dipping in and out most of your threads for a few months now and i think its about time to show what your positive conversations have done for me, bit of a new years resolution to get posting on here and to get motivated to produce more!

So i look forward and welcome all comments.

All the best for the New Year

Chris Moult

[Simon Wates]

What beautiful colours and a perfectly proportioned design (and Kingfisher!). I think this has the wow factor!

[mattybohan]

Great! More, more, more

[Bigshent]

Fantastic Moulty if i could produce paintings like that motivation would be easy

[timwootton]

Very smart, Chris - let's see more.

[Moulty]

Hi,

Thanks for the kind comments, here,s something i did a few months back after a visit to Martin Mere, i generally paint things i've seen, with this though the view was really distant through a scope so used ref photos gathered from here and there, to fill in the details.
Hope to do more 'life drawing' to to get away from this way of working or at least combine them more, hopefully posting the results here.

Chris

[buzzard12]

Originally Posted by Moulty

Hi,

Thanks for the kind comments, here,s something i did a few months back after a visit to Martin Mere, i generally paint things i've seen, with this though the view was really distant through a scope so used ref photos gathered from here and there, to fill in the details.
Hope to do more 'life drawing' to to get away from this way of working or at least combine them more, hopefully posting the results here.

Chris

Hi Chris,

These are fantastic, nice sharp, striking images. Love the colour in both of these, which both show a good understanding of the birds themselves, look forward to seeing more on here..

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Hi Chris, love your pic's looking forward to seeeing a lot more.

[Lykos]

love both paintings

[Bigshent]

Magic Merlin and I do love your moody backgrounds Do ever show these painting locally

[solitaryVSong]

Originally Posted by timwootton

Very smart, Chris - let's see more.

And as others have said, very well designed.

[Moulty]

Hi,
Thanks again for the comments much appreciated, a few more on going bits attached.

Shent - Haven't really exhibited any work locally apart from a few years back in the Stoke on Trent Open at the Museum (Scottish Wildcat -actually about to rework foreground on it)
ps. Think we met once at Doxey as i remember talking to a chap regarding the Birding In Staffs Moorland thread from Biddulph, must be 2 years ago though, great blog.

Chris

[Bigshent]

Originally Posted by Moulty

Hi,
Thanks again for the comments much appreciated, a few more on going bits attached.

Shent - Haven't really exhibited any work locally apart from a few years back in the Stoke on Trent Open at the Museum (Scottish Wildcat -actually about to rework foreground on it)
ps. Think we met once at Doxey as i remember talking to a chap regarding the Birding In Staffs Moorland thread from Biddulph, must be 2 years ago though, great blog.

Chris

Yes I believe we may have you were doing some fine sketching of a LRP if my memory serves right

[Moulty]

Hi,

Did a bit more on the Wood Duck (from a photo i took at Martin Mere), and have included a view I'm working on, of Culbin Sands (not far from Inverness) both are oils (some flash reflections on duck sorry), got a few more things on the go wil try get some photo's sorted.

Shent, can't remember what i was doing on the day tell you the truth, but pretty sure it was you.

all the best

Chris

one of he "studio" attached - must sort out some decent lighting out

[solitaryVSong]

Always love to see views of studios. I think if Rembrandt had decided to draw any snipe he would have chosen the same low horizon view that you did on your sketch. It's a very striking sketch.

[Moulty]

Hi Ken,
Thanks for the comments about the sketch, just had a quick look through your site and blog, where do you find the time with working full time?, like the Osprey lino

Chris

[colleenc]

welcome to BF, stunning work cant wait to see more...you make even the tired and true bird on a stick, fresh and exciting you have and eye for comp and color for sure.

re lighting, I just discovered something fairly cheap and really good, I use photographers, compact florescents and hardware store metal fixtures with a photographers diffuser 12" cover on the them, makes daylight, 5500 K and nice and even, bulbs are $8 US and fixtures $4, diffuser cover $8, best light I've ever had, it's always a nice day out in my studio. I add one warm plant light as 5500K is very cool
here is the bulb on Amazon, These are way cheaper than the $28 "art light flor. bulbs and work longer too that I had in a more expensive art fixture that went dead after a year because the switch broke. It happended on 3 different lights in different brands...so this set up I can replace the fixture when the switch goes out, cheapo.
hope this helps

[Moulty]

Hi Colleen,

Thanks for the lighting set up, will look into that i think, had a terrible time yesterday low winter light coming form my right couldn't even get rid of the shadow of my hand. Going board it out and paint it white as well. Its dark when i get home from work and there's not time in the morning so i better sought something out.

Thanks
Chris

[colleenc]

forgot to say you need 2 lights, mine are above and behind me at about 45 degree angles so there is not any distracting shadow, the diffuser helps that to spreading it more evenly...I have clamp on fixtures that I can move if I want to...and the heads swivel as well so you can adjust...

[Moulty]

Thanks Colleen,
Just had a wander round your site and blog, envy you living on the coast and what that brings to your art, great fur textures on the cats, especially 'Boots'

Chris

[solitaryVSong]

Originally Posted by Moulty

Hi Ken,
Thanks for the comments about the sketch, just had a quick look through your site and blog, where do you find the time with working full time?
Chris

I have a horrible secret Chris: I was able to take early-retirement about two years ago. Previous to that I thought about art work all day but couldn't actually do any except in little snippets before work and on the weekends. I don't think I would have quit work in this job environment if I wasn't so desirous of having more time to work on my paintings/drawings/prints, and of course birding. And I thought that I'd rather live a little more cheaply and have my time to myself than live a bit more expensively and be tied to a desk for a few more years. I feel incredibly lucky to be in this position and can only sympathize will all the people here who have to grab a bit of art time when they can.

[Moulty]

Hi Ken,

Sounds like you've got it sorted, i musn't complain too much though worked in the pottery industry for quite a few years figure painting and now i'm signwritting (all digital - illustrator, photoshop work) so there as been elements of creativeness in those jobs but not as much as i'd like though.

Have dabled a bit with illustrator doing bird subjects must dig them out, can't help going back to the paints though its just the tactile nature of it i suppose.

Chris

[tbbilbo]

Wow, Chris, you are an inspiration to me. Great work!

[Moulty]

Hi tbbilbo,

Not sure i deserve a wow when you look around some of these threads, but thanks greatly appreciated.
The Heron watercolour on your thread's got great technique, tend to get mine muddy looking half the time.

Chris

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Hi Chris,
I use these bulbs and find them very good. not expensive.
got them from here ,a good service too. energybulbs.co.uk
love your style. hope it may help but they must be daylight bulbs.