Mike's conservatory (12 Viewers)

[Woody]

You've drawn these plovers differently to other recent work, especially second sheet. Grainier pencil maybe? They look really good.

You've got it, I just grabbed a 4B (by mistake actually). I've been alternating between a propelling 0.5mm HB, which I like because there's no sharpening involved, and an ordinary 2B (or several to negate the sharpening problem). I liked the way the sketches were looking with the 4B though so I just carried on and detail went out the window, probably to my advantage. I've just remembered, it was also the last few pages in an older sketchbook which may have made a difference as the paper is slightly different.

Mike

 

[Woody]

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great Xmas.

The 'pecker is finally finished and it's time to move on. There are parts I'm happy with and some I'm not but I have to leave it alone now so this is how it stays!

The original sketch is here too in case anyone's interested.

Mike

 

[Andrew H]

Bloody Hell Mike, We waited long enough, and now it here......and its brillient, full of detail and colour. A great start to the New Year.

 

[PWG]

Nice painting, nice and bright for these dark dull days.

 

[Strandman]

That looks great- the dark leaves leaves work really well. I thought of you yesterday, if that's not too disturbing a confession- reason being I stumbled on a pair of day-roosting Little Owls in what I thought was just your style- a snap of one attached by way of New Year's greetings card.

 

[timwootton]

The 'pecker turned out superbly Mike - it's a really wonderful composition with so much interest in the tree and b/ground to complement the bird. Great colours too - a beaut.
Love the snap Ed - would make a fantastic painting verbatum - perfect combination of bulky tree with characterful bird.

 

[Woody]

Cheers peeps.

The owl looks like a little gargoyle sat atop the ramparts of some great, fantasy castle.

Perhaps I should be working on a painting I keep meaning to start; A little owl on the 'stag oak' at Spixworth. I've wanted to do a big painting of that tree for ages, just never had the courage to start!

Mike

 

[timwootton]

The time is nigh.

 

[nickderry]

at last the pecker's here, and is every bit as vibrant as we hoped. I love the poise of the bird, as though it's spotted us and is just deciding whether to freeze or flee.

Yes, do the little owl you wanted to do, if you keep putting it off, it'll never get done!

 

[Woody]

The time is nigh.

Could be you're right...

Had a trip out this morning, not really anything about though. I did find a rock pipit so not a wasted trip. Only sketch was this stonechat so I'll include a kessy from earlier this week.

Mike

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Lovely sketches Mike and the greeny is superb

 

[Woody]

Since I've not posted anything for a while here's a little sketch I did a while ago, just to remind everyone that spring is on its way. This scene is all gone now, the woodland trust, in their wisdom, has removed all the trees from the slopes but the bluebells will probably be back regardless.

Mike

 

[timwootton]

Beautiful spangled light filtering through the leaves into a woodland glade - just about the perfect springtime image, topped off by a little rufous-chested songster. Love it.

 

[Andrew H]

Great picture Mike, can almost feel the warmth coming back (almost) into my body.......Think a re visit is on the cards sometime soon.....

 

[nickderry]

That's what I needed! Ah, toasty warm and pleasant, now if I could just figure out exactly how you got the greens to be so vibrant and manage to do it myself I'd be a very happy man.

 

[jomo]

Ooh, so warm and lush and sun-dappled ... I'm feeling pangs of warbler withdrawal just looking at those woods. The windchill is dragging things down to -30C tonight, so thanks for the warm-up, Woody!

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Looking forward to walking through the Bluebells too Mike.

 

[mariakitano]

Im new to this forum but i wanted to say the picture is amazing ! I love painting birds too , but i mostly paint them semi abstract so im not sure if it fits in the wild life art category

Maria

 

[Woody]

Thank you Maria and welcome to the best bit of bird forum! I'd say your paintings would be welcome in the wildlife art category, so go for it!

I don't know where my post went to last night so I'll say again; Sap green with too much cad yellow, glazed over white in acrylics. I may have used vivid lime green too straight out of the tube. Oh I've gone and done it now, I use pre-mixed greens! Oh the shame...

Jo, with cold like that you make me feel guilty only getting to 3 or 4 below zero here!

I've finished the owl in the landscape painting. Arthur was almost right, I had two landscapes lined up. One was a Spixworth one and the other was actually Oare, which nobody guessed (Just my little leg pull for you lot!). I couldn't quite get either to work so I went for the generic landscape from the old imagination. It ended up looking quite 'Norfolky' though. This is a quick shot from the camera, I'll scan it properly tomorrow and stick it in the gallery.

Now, I know I'm not the first to paint a slightly romanticised view like this and I also know I won't be the last, but you gotta make a living and times are tough! B

Mike

 

[nickderry]

This is interesting, it's loose and painterly - and you haven't complained about it, does this mean you've achieved the happy balance you were after. To be honest, it matters not one jot if you're pleased with it or not - I love it, and don't find the romanticised setting in the least bit offputting, this is what barn owls often look like in nature. Love it.