Welcome to Nick's dining room table. (2 Viewers)

[nickderry]

The studio has seen a few changes - the dining room table has now been taken over by Seb, in some sort of artistic caprice, he has started painting again, and is now swearing at acrylic paints and glue in some very eloquent French. So while I've been put on hold, here's what I've managed to get done recently, there is a small Rock Bunting (not a pumpkin or an oompa loompa I'm afraid), a Green Woodpecker, sketches of a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by Swallows (juv Magpie not in same picture) and a Swallow's bottom from the other day.

 

[nickderry]

So while the table is otherwise occupied, these Tufted Ducks will have to wait, but I can get on with the huge task of covering these huge hideous vinyl panels that Seb got for dirt cheap. He honestly believed they were canvases that I couldpaint straight onto - they're not, they're made of the same stuff as the seats I used to wipe clean in the chip shop! So in order to use them I'm covering them in papier mâché and then going to do some huge Goosanders, and perhaps some huge Magpies. (Or huge pictures of many goosanders and many magpies, not gargantuan birds). Oh and the wallcreeper's in a frame (Ikea) now.

Wish he'd hurry up and give me my table back! I want to get painting!

 

[Woody]

Like the bunting, but love the pecker! Good luck with the big 'uns and I reckon you couldn't get better than those ikea jobs, they're just about perfect for the creeper pic.

You'll just have to learn to share, and play nicely you two!

Mike

 

[Andrew Ellis]

Nick....! were you Hogging the Kitchen table by any chance?, Tut,Tut.

I agree with Mike, Wall creeper looks fab framed.

 

[desgreene]

Fabulous Rock Bunting Nick, love it.

 

[nickderry]

We'll learn how to share some day, lol, I got the table back after he went to bed :king: so the tufties got finished last night. Now I've got to decide what to do with the day, got to glue the edges of the big canvas, then maybe I'll spend the day doing my own paintings!

 

[nickderry]

Time to put on some oldies (having a sort through the mess before going on holiday next Monday) Some of these some of you may have already seen on my first ever website, others not, but Ill pop them on anyway as the website doesn't exist anymore - all, apart from the Little Swift are from Belvide Reservoir in Staffs - my beloved local patch between 97 and 01.

 

[nickderry]

and the rest

 

[desgreene]

Great stuff Nick! I'd pick out the Ruddies as may favourite out of all of these. I think it really sums up your style.

Off anywhere nice on hols then?

 

[nickderry]

Great stuff Nick! I'd pick out the Ruddies as may favourite out of all of these. I think it really sums up your style.

Off anywhere nice on hols then?

Ruddies do some me up I think. Even my signature is a ruddy duck!

We're off to the South of Italy - one of my friends in Besançon is Italian and we're going to go and stay with her and her family for a fortnight. We went 3 years ago aswell. I'm hoping for some good birdsthis time, it wasn't bad last time, though in general there was a severe lack of numbers. We did get to see plenty of Cirl Buntings and RB Shrikes (but we get plenty of those here too!) Italian race Long-tailed Tits, Italian Sparrows, 3 Golden Orioles, a Zitting Cisticola and a Pallid Swift, plus plenty of small 1W 'sylvia' warblers which were most likely Subalpine, but I wasn't good at identifying them - done my research for this visit though! Really hoping for Blue Rock Thrush and Roller this time!

 

[desgreene]

I'd wondered about the ! so now I know.

Sounds like a nice place you're off to. Best of luck with the birds.

 

[nickderry]

I'd wondered about the ! so now I know.

Sounds like a nice place you're off to. Best of luck with the birds.

The ! is on my painting signature, my real signature is even worse! Here it is - at the top how it is now and underneath how it started - my first passport is signed with a sketch of a ruddy duck!

 

[desgreene]

Ahh right. I thought the ! was the Ruddie's tail. Not too far off the mark.

I bet your real signature gets a few raised eyebrows.

 

[Andrew H]

Can i just mention the 'sea scape' (four up on the sheet), love this idea, might have to play with a similar idea when Im next doing B&W on a beach....

 

[buzzard12]

The ! is on my painting signature, my real signature is even worse! Here it is - at the top how it is now and underneath how it started - my first passport is signed with a sketch of a ruddy duck!

...what a great idea, wonder if I can get a Black-throated Diver onto mine, due to apply for a new one later in the year!!

Love the Green Pecker Nick... Hirundine sketches top drawer too.

Love the Garganey painting and would also suggest revisiting the comp idea of the foreground oxeye daisies and wagtail, wonderful idea and graphically striking....

 

[timwootton]

Oh WOW!

Where have you been hiding these?! The design of the waggy and daisies is just brilliant and I love the clever set-up of the white-rumped swift (and the humour of the cliff-top birders looking elsewhere!) - this is exactly the type of sky I dream of painting - just perfect. The clack-head and ruff is a very brave, albit seemingly simple, painting which scores right across the board. really, one of my all-time favourites by anyone.
The lesser whitethroat shows all the halmarks of Derry-on-form and the climate in the gull (sorry, Sabs/Bona? 2nd year) shows how rain ought to be done.
Masterclass!

 

[nickderry]

Little Swift (2001 Netherfield - lol, I went twitching!) and the flying gull is an ordinary Black-headed (2cy). Otherwise full marks for id! Very good!

 

[Woody]

Yes, I remember some of them. I'd have to single out the whitethroat and the bhg as my faves. It's interesting to see how your style has developed over time too.

Mike

 

[Andrew Ellis]

Nick stunning just stunning, The green woodpecker at the top is a cracker.

and from your earlier work the Wagtail and daisies is just brilliant.

 

[nickderry]

Just popping in to leave a little Mediterranean flavour before I leave for the airport - got my paints packed, better put some clothes in too! See you in a little over a fortnight!