Bienvenue 'chez Nick' (4 Viewers)

[timwootton]

Can't comment on these yet . . .

 

[Bigshent]

Gold Star for your last batch :t: But one must not drink in class:C

 

[nickderry]

While I'm (supposed to be) getting ready for work, I thought I'd just pop in with a sketch from yesterday's 'disappointing' day. The American Golden Plover that had spent 5 days just over the border in Burgundy finally heard that I was coming to see it and promptly (expletive verb in preterite here) off. There is going to be a painting of the day, and a big one, got to fit as many lapwings and snipes into it as possible, one or two starlings, a skylark and some ruff. here is a ruff. I'm feeling ruff this morning, knackered.

Also a photo from the day, a peregrine and roe deer

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

another batch to keep us enthralled . just love all Nick

 

[nickderry]

why did I put bird feeders out? I can't take my eyes off the window and now I have another woodpecker painting to do. (just a great spot)

 

[colleenc]

Ever inventive, and always evolving, your work never ceases to amaze and insipire

 

[oivind egeland]

You should always paint Bitterns instead of sleeping. What a jewel that is!

 

[nickderry]

Just starting to get back to normality after a fantastic weekend where I had a stand at the Salamandre Festival in Switzerland, lovely to be able to paint in front of the visitors and meet some brilliant artists. Of course, I had to stop along the way to do a bit of birding, which meant Zippy had to take a whole exhibition up a mountain in first gear, but hey ho.

The highlight had to be meeting with a female capercaillie in the forest, as I was walking along the path, I turned a corner to find her immobile staring at me, I did a sketch, then decided to reach for the camera - that's when she flew, the male, that I hadn't seen, followed from deep cover a minute later and nearly made me jump out of my skin. Great birds.

 

[nickderry]

Walltoaster season is upon us again! Plenty of sightings as they flew from crack to crack, not many seen on the cliffs themselves, but one did fly up to snatch a butterfly out of the air.

 

[nickderry]

and the rest, including an encounter with Captain Excubitor, and a photo of my stand, while it was still reasonably tidy.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Speaking of art that creates a physical sensation yours always does. It's always a combination of awe at the combination of skill and artistic inventiveness and the desire to head outside and try to get something similar in my own work. Always a reminder of just how much the world has to offer if imaginatively viewed and put down on paper or canvas. That second Capercaille is by far my favorite.

I hope your art show visitors realized what a wealth of art was on display for them!

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Great work Nick & the male Cap. is just superb.
How did the show go?

 

[colleenc]

An overworked but turly deserved word Nick, awesome

 

[Bigshent]

Fantastic every last one of them youth :t: A shame the last thumbnail wasnt bigger when opened. I found myself with my nose touching the monitor trying to get better views of the artwork on show

 

[AStevenson]

Bloody Hell Nick some cracking stuff - very envious of the walltoasters....but surely either that was the World's smallest female caper or it's a ginormous goldcrest or is it a classic case of size illusion!!

Love the fleeing male caper, oh and that bittern...wish I could just throw something like that together.....

cheers, Andrew

 

[mattybohan]

Loads of winners.

 

[nickderry]

why do we draw? well some of us do it just to show off and rub others' noses in it I FOUND A RUSTIC BUNTING ON MY LUNCH BREAK! (my first ever self found national rarity!) AND I found 8% volume beer for 55c a can with which to toast. Oh, and Tim, the waxwings have reached France, I'm checking EVERY berry bush within a 10km (all nice and metric) radius! Your monopoly on the species is over! lol

EDIT (yes, I'm drunk!)

 

[timwootton]

Superb, son!!!! Rustics are brilliant birds - actually, ALL the buntings are, in my humble opinion, and this is a wonderful lively and true to the bird piece of fieldwork. More than just a bit envious, more than a bit. . . . . Also well done on the 8% beer and attaining inebriation waaaaaay before me today - and don't forget to put half a ton (tonne) of cut apples out on the lawn tomorrow. They can smell them from 50 km!!!! (saw a few myself today, too)

 

[nickderry]

hmmmm! I have apples BUT, I also have neighbours, and they already treat me with suspicion!

 

[AStevenson]

Did you not get a crappy photo!...high quality field sketches will get you nowhere these days!!

I too have neighbours and have stuck apples on my trees without comment.....but then again I live in the Outer Hebrides. So far only encouraged one 'stayer' waxy and a blackcap.

cheers, Andrew