[nickderry]

wow Buzzard, I'm a great admirer of your biro work, there is such freshness and conviction in every line. I'd love to have your talent. Now I regret having stayed at home today when I could have gone out sketching, oh well, Saturday's not far off! Also congrats on your work on surfbirds, nice to see a revival of artwork on there at the moment.

[Tyke]

You have a wonderful talent Buzzard-a joy to look at.
Thank you
Colin

[buzzard12]

The last few days out between Norra Jarvafältet and Nack Strand. Mild weather happily continues..

Male Long Tailed Duck at Nacka, common winter bird here.

Tufted Ducks at Norra Jarva, same location for the Lesser Spotted Pecker.
All done with black biro.

[Woody]

Great stuff Buzz.

I admire how you manage to be so positive with your pen strokes. When I sketch my lines start rough and, as I look at the subject, they coalesce (sp?) into more positive, descriptive lines and the pencil strokes get darker as I feel they are right.

Keep 'em coming it's great to 'watch' your sketchbook filling up.

Woody

[timwootton]

Alan - these are really getting into the realm of sublimity here. The l s woodpecker gave me the same feeling as I got when I first saw Lars Jonsson's Birds of B&EwME - particularly the warbler paintings. It's that feeling you get when something is 'just right' - the shape the bird makes, the way the feathers can be seen to fall over the muscle structure -it's just a perfect drawing.
Oh, the others aren't bad, either!

Ps - I've just spotted a piece of 'Artist's Thumb' on the drake tuftie drawing - gotcha!

[buzzard12]

Oops! The thumb....I feel it had to make an appearance at some stage, after all, it has contributed hugely to the thread!

[buzzard12]

Caught up on this one yesterday, life bird for me. Didnt get a huge amount done, bird not present today...Would love to get this one stationary at close range for an hour or two...

(Later Edit)Have just learned this bird was hit by a Goshawk this morning, then reappeared in the late evening and seems to be okay. Fears for this birds health, appears to be thin and very hungry, forcing it to hunt in daylight.
Fingers crossed it will find some food over the coming days..

[timwootton]

Another lovely set of drawings Alan - I can see there's mileage in this particular set of drawings (the 3rd would translate almost directly into a very nice painting, I think). Hope for good news re your subject, also.

[buzzard12]

Sadly Tim there is no good news. The bird was picked up afterwards having died from the Goshawk strike. It seems perhaps that the owl was indeed weak and perhaps the hawk picked up on this. I remind myself that this is the very essence of natural selection and an example of the force that shapes the beautiful creatures we live to watch...
Still a shame though, it was the a stunningly beautiful creature. Assuredly, it will live long in my memory..

[nickderry]

another set of beautiful drawings, that lesser pecker is fantastic. Was sketching one this week and it just wouldn't form on the page. Must try harder to concentrate next time!

[buzzard12]

Out at Sandemar Reserve a couple of days ago. Cold, wet conditions had me wondering if I should have been better off staying in bed, then I was delighted to pick up this flock of 16 Smew. Too distant to digiscope so I stuck the zoom lens on and took this page of thumbnails before the joints started to go numb in my fingers!

[buzzard12]

Eider sketches from today at Dalarö, five paintings paintings already planned for this species alone! Could sketch these all winter!
Dalarö is full of Eider at this time of year, with a lot of birds at close range, great for sketching. Nice morning there today, relaxing and sketching males only for three hours. Not a bad way to spend a morning!

[Vectis Birder]

Those Eiders are brilliant Alan. I especially like the group sketch in #61.

[timwootton]

Wonderful group of drawings, Alan. The little line drawing is exquisite and very reminiscent of the great doctor EAR Ennion himself. I would be delighted to have made a drawing as beautiful as this one!

[buzzard12]

Off to Dublin tomorrow for a week with my family, wont be near a computer for the duration. Would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas....

The sketchbook will go with me, looking forward to getting out on my old stomping grounds!

[timwootton]

Originally Posted by buzzard12

Off to Dublin tomorrow for a week with my family, wont be near a computer for the duration. Would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas....

The sketchbook will go with me, looking forward to getting out on my old stomping grounds!

Merry Christmas Alan - Have a fine old time!

[Vectis Birder]

..And we look forward to seeing the sketches on your return.

I hope your journey is not disrupted by fog, btw...

[buzzard12]

Sketches done on Bull Island, Dublin while home for the Christmas break.

Lots of posts of the birds in the area on the blog...

[timwootton]

An outstanding selection of drawings, Alan - looks like you got your batteries recharged over the festive period. The r-b gull is superbly observed, it's expression is absolutely spot-on and the dunlin looks ready to simply walk off the page - brilliant! Seems peculiar that you were drawing teal and bar-t godwits on the same day as I was making studies of the same species! I think (for what it's worth) that this collection could easily (!) be put together to form a really lively larger drawing, or painting - I for one would love to see that (not putting you under pressure, or anything!). Field study of the highest order - bravo!

[Woody]

Simply wonderful.

Woody

[buzzard12]

Have enjoyed the time spent in Ireland. Have another three pages in the sketchbok, which are here.
Wonderful place to sketch, Bull Island. Teeming with birds, literally hunndreds of them right in front of you. Really tame too. Never ending subjects.

[Vectis Birder]

Fantastic!

[timwootton]

Obviously a very productive holiday, Alan - beautiful work, as usual. (Do we get to see any 'finished' pieces in this thread? - he cheekily enquires - )

[buzzard12]

Originally Posted by timwootton

Obviously a very productive holiday, Alan - beautiful work, as usual. (Do we get to see any 'finished' pieces in this thread? - he cheekily enquires - )

Soon enough Tim I hope! The weather here is bizarre at the moment and I am still able to get out sketching, 7 degrees today in Stockholm, should be about -15! Don't think it can last much longer, but am enjoying it, had 3 Arctic Redpolls today amongst 200 Mealy's and 9 Lessers, can't be bad!

Must get going soon though, I have somewhere between 25 and 30 paintings laid out already at the moment, thumbnails,compositional sketches and even dimensions decided upon, the lot. Its a lot of work and will throw myself into it soon enough, shall have a nuclear month of painting quite soon I should imagine!

[timwootton]

Wow - sounds like someone's gonna be burning some midnight oil (I'm also extremely envious that you can be so organized). Look forward to the posts.
Weather here is a bit mad, too - all the old boys are saying how we never get snow like they used to - feet upon feet of the stuff and now all the ski resorts are having to close (not in Orkney, of course - bit low-lying for that) - but waxwing seen yesterday in the village so maybe a sign that the weather is cooling down? - he hopes!