revivingKensArt (3 Viewers)

[RussB]

Oooh, I like the Killdeer! Nice work Ken. Very well rendered, subtle plumage tones, and that cracking double breast band which contrasts so well with the light. Yet another wader to draw me to the States, I thinks.

Russ

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks all. I do like that last watercolor. In fact I've enjoyed most of the kildeer I've done recently.

As promised I've begun my first acrylic painting in at least 20 years. This is based on the pen and ink that I did a week or so ago. What a pleasure to be using a paint that will allow light over dark!

There's only six colors in the small set of acrylics I bought but that may be fine for now. Eventually I'll probably buy some more colors. And a smaller brush. I have nothing small enough to do much with the kildeer itself. This is about 12x18 I think.

 

[colleenc]

a deft touch here Ken

 

[Strandman]

Killdeer is turning into your signature bird alright

I was very struck by the rounded form on the first Killdeer, really shaped around the wing and belly

 

[solitaryVSong]

I was very struck by the rounded form on the first Killdeer, really shaped around the wing and belly

Ed, do you mean the killdeer in the ink drawing? If so I have to agree with you. That was a nice round shape. This one has gotten a bit elongated. But I did get a couple of new, small brushes this morning so changes may be on the way...

I'm really enjoying killdeer. They're actually a pretty common bird here if you know where to look, i.e. more inland than coast. But you just can't deny their beauty no matter how common.

 

[mayoayo]

Ken,You got a wonderful collection going,...truly enjoyed ...the killdeers,the sandpiper,the skimmer!!..All !...the shapes of the birds,the background,the line,....Hard work and dedication ...congratulations

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks mayoayo. I was just thinking we hadn't heard from you in awhile. Hope you're doing well and continuing your own art work!

 

[Strandman]

I'm really enjoying killdeer. They're actually a pretty common bird here if you know where to look, i.e. more inland than coast. But you just can't deny their beauty no matter how common.

there's an interesting reflection there

one of the things about bird art that intrigues me is that the choice of species to paint is not just a visual thing, its also a choice about what associations are being invoked, what birding and cultural references are built in

sometimes the painting is beautiful but really it is for the hardcore birders, getting its extra power from the birding context (it depicts a rare moment etc.) like a portrait of a famous person

sometimes the painting is powerful differently, because it is evoking a wider engagement with birds and the environment, a kind of honesty and universality almost in a craft tradition (Killdeer, Snowy Egret in US- Lapwing, Brown Hare in the UK)

just Friday night thoughts

 

[nickderry]

absolutely love the pileated from the last page and there are plenty of great killdeer to look at too! Hope you're having fun with the acrylics.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Goof Friday night thoughts Ed, even on Saturday afternoon. Though I always like seeing and rendering an unusual bird I think I have more attachment to the ones I see with some regularity. I think you're right that in that case I'm more apt to understand and appreciate their environment and then try to put it down. It is a wider engagement.

Oddly enough I'm choosing works for a group show at a coop gallery nearby. Right now I have 3 Killdeer and 1 landscape in mind. Of course a couple of the killdeer are also my newest works.

Nick, I'm enjoying the acrylics. The odd thing is I've never, or rarely used them in any way except abstractly. So I'm sort of feeling my way along here. I also can't figure out when to stop. Maybe that will come with time. This one may be done but I'm really not sure.

 

[nickderry]

I like how the water reflects the pattern in the bird, maybe you could incorporate this into the foreground to break up that horizontal between the rocks and the water. You have all the skill of an abstract artist to know what to do!

 

[Lykos]

superb pic :t:

 

[mark richards]

very nice stuff....mark.

 

[JTMB]

Nicely done, Ken! Like the color variation and movement in the water.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks all. As Nick notes there's a need to unify the background and foreground here and I'm drastically changing the painting every couple of hours trying to do thatc.

Rather than bore everyone with a lot of images I'll just say that I've put up a couple new versions on my blog. Still a ways to go here. But I think I'll eventually get it to work............maybe...............

I don't really mind this though. It's just me figuring out what I want to do now that I'm going back to an old medium. I'll figure it out eventually.

 

[solitaryVSong]

I continue to dig myself a deep hole with the acrylic killdeer. After a few more hours work today I decided the best thing to do was to get to work on matting and framing some works for the upcoming group show. So, using some of my old insect crawing frames a watercolor Killdeer and a watercolor landscape from West Virginia.

I often find that if I get to work on something else while in the same room with a work in progress all of a sudden it will hit me what to do with the WIP. I'm hoping I can also finish it in time for the show.

 

[Lykos]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for the show...you make it

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks Gaby. Since the gallery is a coop I'm guaranteed to have a few works in it. I'm just not sure if there will be room for all of them.

I've finished putting mat on last one, a watercolor of Four Greater Yellowlegs, and put it in an old frame I used for some insect drawings years ago.

Now I'm spending all my time making a frame for the killdeer acrylic. So I think that means it must be done. If it weren't I'm sure I'd just opt to exhibit it without the frame.

So here's the latest version along with that yellowlegs watercolor in its new mat and frame.

 

[colleenc]

looking good Ken, have a great show

 

[Woody]

Best of luck with the show Ken.

Personally I reckon the extra flexibility and capacity for experiment and tweaking that you get with the acrylics is a good direction for you since you seem to be someone who likes to explore as you go.

Mike