From Tim Wootton's Studio (1 Viewer)

[timwootton]

Unfortunate Gannet

Having planned to go to North Ron today to draw a bird I've never seen before, plans were curtailed.
Took kiddiwinks fishing instead but caught as much as we would have had we stayed watching tv.
Collected dead gannet from Orphir and discussed its wonderful anatomy with the finder. Started working on it this evening around 7:30 ish.
Gotta finish it in next hour or so - it's humming now and it only died last night/this morning.

 

[nickderry]

Sorry about the Cretshzshchjrajjemars, but lucky you getting to draw a whole gannet. I came across a dead one in good nick a few years ago, but didn't think I'd be able to get it back on the bus and into shared accommodation without upsetting a few people. I doubt it would have fit in my bag anyway. Coming along very well indeed.

 

[timwootton]

Thanks Nick. Condolences accepted - I'd only have scared the little blighter off anyway .
Big b8ggers these gannets - cunningly angled to fit on a full sheet (30" x 23" ish, aren't they?) also a tad of foreshortening - no measured nonesense for me - far too precise). It won't fit in the freezer so it looks like being a ceremonial interment the morn.
The plumped up plumage of these birds (like some ducks) is so structural and textured that I think working in gouache onto coloured board may have been more successful. Ah well, next time.

 

[jomo]

Kittiwake sketches -- oh oh oh! I love these two sheets, so much jizz and gesture, delicious!

Gannets have such lovely bills, like ivory sculpture. Only ones I've ever seen were distant specks spotted from the deck of the car ferry to Nova Scotia, unfortunately. Beautiful birds (and beautifully captured, yet again).

 

[Strandman]

These portraits of the dead..they are really fine.

I've just finished a quite an intriguing novel about a chap who starts life as an apprentice surgeon in Victorian London, goes through a phase as an opium-addicted body snatcher and ends up finding a certain kind of peace and happiness drawing dead birds in a shed in Australia.

 

[EliS]

Probably one of the most handsome birds around. A beautiful portrayal. Never seen one, gotta come to Britain some day to get a good look at living specimens.

Oh, and that puffin was great. That was even "more" dead than most of the dead birds you've painted/drawn.

Elina

 

[timwootton]

I've just finished a quite an intriguing novel about a chap who starts life as an apprentice surgeon in Victorian London, goes through a phase as an opium-addicted body snatcher and ends up finding a certain kind of peace and happiness drawing dead birds in a shed in Australia.

Well, I didn't get as far as Australia, but the rest of the bio just about fits!

 

[Woody]

Beautiful death study of a beautiful bird. Anything alive in the pipeline? I'm worried you're developing a bit of an obsession!

Mike

 

[timwootton]

Anything alive in the pipeline? I'm worried you're developing a bit of an obsession!
Mike

Eh? Whaddayya Mean??????

 

[EliS]

You're taking this "ID the bird in the drawing/painting" to a new level. I think I'm going for white-tailless eagle, a far cousin of a more commonly known form of the species Haliaeetus albicilla.

Edit: no wait, the beak might not be big enough - golden eagle?

Elina

 

[Woody]

He! He! Vicious looking chicken carcass! (Eagle of some sort?)

BTW are the skeletons from the local natural history museum, the 3d skeleton website or the Orkney roadside?

Mike

Great minds Elina!

 

[timwootton]

Been going through a couple of sketches and trying to organise them into slightly more coherant drawings.

Apologies for the previous contribution - I wasn't going to post it but Mike provoked me
Regarding species - there's a bit of a clue in the file title

 

[nickderry]

Yes, the eider is superbly muted with just a few glowing patches of colour, a bit of sunlight coming through the rain? The kittys are a joy as usual, really focussing on their form.

 

[Woody]

Just frame the eiders! Perfection on a page right there.

Mike

 

[timwootton]

Cheers boys - glad you could see the atmosphere Nick (you may remember the original colour drawing?). Thanks Mike - particularly the framing bit - a it's for someone's Bday.
Last for today . . .

 

[nickderry]

Do you realise how good this would look as a collage! Very exciting abstractions. I need some kittiwakes now - the last one to turn up here ended up on the end of a fishing line.

 

[timwootton]

- the last one to turn up here ended up on the end of a fishing line.

That's a rather practically-minded kittiwake Nick! - Oh, sorry - you mean the OTHER end of the fishing line.

Feel free to re-interpret anything posted here Nick - I'd be more than honoured.

 

[desgreene]

Love the Kittiwakes Tim, but the Eiders! Just fabulous (somebody's going to be pleased on their birthday).

 

[Andrew H]

Yep love the Eiders.......It gives me hope when i check out these pages..

 

[peter mathios]

Love the paintings and the commentary on each. I could feel the wind cutting through.