Welcome to Nick's dining room table. (4 Viewers)

[Strandman]

I did think silence on this thread was the prelude some sort of jamboree. Current favourites include Redstart #1 for the texture and those Goosander- giving the eyes of the middle two females plenty detail was a master stroke.

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

A superb group of pic's Nick

 

[nickderry]

I did think silence on this thread was the prelude some sort of jamboree. Current favourites include Redstart #1 for the texture and those Goosander- giving the eyes of the middle two females plenty detail was a master stroke.

Nothing purposeful about it, it was just the easiest part to reach whilst kneeling in front of this oversized plastic canvas. Though since you point it out, I agree I'm happy about it being like that.

 

[EliS]

I was feeling extreamely blue yesterday evening. Popped in here... and left smiling. The Redstart is timply marvelous - what colors, what simple brush work! Black RS - great character. Woodpecker - had to check that one first, wow! Long-tails - *SMILE* cute and love the colors. Wood sands (if ID incorrect, I'll blame the fact that all the waders dissappeared just at the time I would have needed them most and now my brain refuses to take in wader characteristics for ID purposes) - gorgeous, gorgous - and love the "crop", very interesting, very dynamic... And the goosanders - yup, must admit, I'm a fan as well.

Reminds me why I'm in this business of wildlife art - there's no way a photo could convey such feeling as these paintings do.

Elina

 

[Woody]

Ouch! How did that happen? Hope everything goes alright.

Dunno! Just went for an annual sight test and mentioned that I had a sore eye and that's what I've been told. So off to the doc! But that's not 'til later, for now I'm trying to finish a kingfisher before I get blinded...

Mike

 

[timwootton]

Best of luck Mike - sounds rather horrible.

 

[nickderry]

Another one done, now to tidy up the whole flat and get stuff ready for work tomorrow. It's September and I haven't been out birding this month! Very wrong!

This one has had the works - started off as a watercolour, then overlayed with pastel (impossible medium) a good layer of fixative (mmmm) then as the fixative changed all the colours it had collage, gouache and pencil crayon over the top. What was only going to be less than an hour's painting turned out to be 4.

 

[timwootton]

And every second of which contributing to the end result - which is stunning. When's the exhibition again?

 

[nickderry]

And every second of which contributing to the end result - which is stunning. When's the exhibition again?

Setting up in the first week of November, having the opening on the 15th (no alcohol allowed though :-C). Slowly starting to get on top of things for it, still haven't worked out how to make the invitations on the computer - don't seem to have anything that will cut A4 into 3, then got to get those printed, along with posters. So much to do - haven't even looked at my Italy sketches yet, and there were so many paintings to do there. Luckily Sebastien's plans for us to move to another flat have fallen through, he finally agreed that it was too expensive - so we're staying here, and I don't have to try and paint whilst packing boxes.

Better get back to tidying up now! It looks like a pigsty in here with bits of torn paper strewn everywhere.

 

[Woody]

Well worth the effort. Wonderfully structural birds, I can see each twist and turn of the angled planes all contained in strong lines that Enion would have been proud of.

Back to the eye hospital tomorrow, no idea what I'm in for yet...

Mike

 

[EliS]

So around 5 different mediums in that one. Well, it definitely dropped me down from my chair, beautiful, very very beutiful. Gotta second Mike's reference to Ennion.

Elina

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Lovely peice Nick and good luck with getting ready for your Exhibition

 

[buzzard12]

Another one done, now to tidy up the whole flat and get stuff ready for work tomorrow. It's September and I haven't been out birding this month! Very wrong!

This one has had the works - started off as a watercolour, then overlayed with pastel (impossible medium) a good layer of fixative (mmmm) then as the fixative changed all the colours it had collage, gouache and pencil crayon over the top. What was only going to be less than an hour's painting turned out to be 4.

This one has the works alright, started off as a watercolour, then overlayed with panache (impossibly well) a good layer of insight (hmmmm) then as the insight blended efortlessly with the colour work it had talent, swagger and audacity over the top. What was only going to be less than gem turned out to be so much more....

Ennion yes, but all yours. Wonderful, wonderful image, adore it Nick.

 

[nickderry]

WOO HOO! Finally got somehours birding done - best bird was my first little stint for a good few years, that I didn't sketch. There was this showy juv red-back shrike, 3 bh gulls (not a bad count at all!) and quite a good selection of wildfowl - 6 teal, 5 wigeon, 3 pochard, a RC pochard and these 2 garganey. Oh and this redstart is already going to be a painting, just got to find time to do it!

I'll be honest, the paint on the shrike was redone when I got back in, that's the last time I take photos of what I draw aswell! But then it was such a vain, look-at-me-I'm-beautiful sort of bird, I had to oblige it!

 

[timwootton]

Gorgeous shrike - don't berate yersel for colourworking afterwards, it's obvious the bird was in your psyche well and truly, so you'd only be interpreting the 2-d visual as the remembered event. Plus the added detail is absolutely required for this little stunner - great work!
love the other stuff, of course - but the main thing that shows here is your love of doing what you do. Splendid!

 

[Woody]

Proper bloomin' great! I reckon the photo just shows how good your sketching is, and that's very good indeed.

Mike

 

[nickderry]

Burning the midnight oil to get not a lot done again - I had to paint over the wood sandpipers, there were inaccuracies that I couldn't live with, so that took me till half past three this morning, also started on a little pic of a serin singing on a fence, this was an idea from over a year ago that never got finished and now, again, I don't know where to go with it. OK, yes, it looks more like a lark sparrow or meadow bunting at the moment, it's just underpainting to stop me painting dark yellows as greens as I usually do.

 

[desgreene]

I love the way the Wood Sandpipers have turned out. I reckon a nice bright Serin against the rusty old fence will look just great. Or did you have other ideas for the background?

 

[nickderry]

No other ideas for the serin, I just wanted the bird to shine bright yellow against a purple background - doesn't look like my usual style, but as people keep telling me, style is something I lack big time! So, here's the finished serin, a hoopoe done quickly just to finish the paint left over in the palette, and a redstart that people mustn't get attached to, as the background has been collaged over just a little (but is coming on well!)

 

[desgreene]

Serin - good enough to eat! (as in like a lemon bonbon, not in a an eating little birds kind of way)
Hoopoe - More style than I will ever be able to muster!
Redstart - Finished surely??