revivingKensArt (1 Viewer)

[nickderry]

when you're finishing this, please don't touch the plovers! They're done beautifully.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Not too many changes here. But I knew yesterday that I had to fine-tune a couple of bills among other things. I may change my mind in a day or two but for now this accomplishes pretty much what I wanted and is indicative of the scene of Black-bellied Plovers, Short-billed Dowitchers and Dunlin on a spit of land at Nummy Island, NJ this spring.

For better or worse it's going into a small show around the corner. If it turns out I hate it in a few days I'll just have to live with that for the next month. I always find that I'm more critical of my work once it's hung so that's one of the virtues of this small gallery. Very few people ever stop in and even fewer buy. But it does give me another perpective on my work.

 

[Bigshent]

Another great wader scene Ken :king:. May I ask what is the size of the piece. Just to have work hanging on the wall is success in my book Ken, your a bad boy self critic :-O

 

[timwootton]

Fab light bathing this - love it.

 

[oivind egeland]

What a cracking group of birds! I can hardly think of a more beautiful creature than the male Grey Plover. Nice work!

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks all. The size is 9x12 inches. I really wanted to work bigger but the only stretcher bars I have around are about the same size which means I could only make a squarish canvas out of them. I knew I wanted this painting to be mainly horizontal so I had to go with this smallish canvas.

As far as hanging I do feel lucky in a way to belong to the artists's coop I mentioned. There are very few viewers and even fewer buyers. But I've come to like the pressure of making mats, buying frames(well it would be better if they were free!), and seeing the work up on the wall. Makes me feel more professional. And most of the time the paintings and prints really do look better when in a frame.

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

love the work you have been doing Ken

 

[nickderry]

wonderful, I wish I'd had the good fortune to see such a scene, I think there's plenty of mileage for other paintings from this too - I'd be itching to explore all those jagged negative spaces between the birds, as it is, I'm stuck painting a nutcracker flying in mist, all softly, softly....

 

[solitaryVSong]

Nick, Oivind. I do feel really lucky to have seen such a grouping. I see very few shorebirds at home. This is from Cape May, NJ about 100 miles away. Fortunately it's one of the best spots on East Coast to bird and is full of warblers, shorebirds, raptors, waterfowl, pretty much anything you'd like to see.

Since I see shorebird groupings so infrequently it's always a thrill. In this group I just loved the three bill types of dowitcher, plover and dunlin. That, their overall shape, and the light seemed to offer an incredibly rich bunch of stuff to work with.

 

[nickderry]

waders (or shorebirds as you call them your side of the Atlantic) have always been the group that inspire me the most, not been a brilliant year for them here this year, but still had a few. Every time I see a wader, I see a potential painting.

 

[ed keeble]

This is from Cape May, NJ about 100 miles away.

ooh- how far are you from Barnegat then? The Harlequins there would seem just seem so very suited to your way of seeing/doing..

 

[solitaryVSong]

ooh- how far are you from Barnegat then? The Harlequins there would seem just seem so very suited to your way of seeing/doing..

My very first job when I moved to the Philadelphia area many years ago Ed was sanding a fiberglass boat on Barnegat. What a messy job that was! And of course I wasn't a birder then so I paid no attention, actually devoting more of my free time to catching no fish!

But I haven't been back since. This may be the post that spurs me on. My guess is that it's also 100 miles or less. When we do travel we tend to go to Cape May because there is such diversity of birds there. Barnegat I think is much more limited, but it does have those Harlequins!! The only one I've seen was off in the distance at Cape May and too far away to really appreciate. I'm not sure if I could do anything with them artistically though. They're just too unbelievable. It's hard to imagine capturing that on paper/canvas. Of course I do like a challenge.

Nick, it's taken me a long while to favor shorebirds/waders over wood warblers. But I think I may get more excited now about seeing shorebirds. Of course that first colorful wood warbler of spring can't be beat.

 

[Woody]

Love the waders Ken, or more precisely I love the light that the waders are in! Mike

 

[colonelboris]

Lovely work on the waders - hope the show went/goes well!

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks Tony, Mike.

Just got back from Cape May and as I hope sketches will show there was just too much there to make it up the extra 40-50 miles to Barnegat Ed. Though I do think it's probably too early for Harlequinsc


First page shows one of first birds we saw, a juvenile Common Moorhen at dusk. Also a perched Northern Harrier, Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Pied-billed Grebe

Next a juvenile Blue Grosbeak, with just a bit of blue left, with Brown Thrasher above and Pine Siskin, Northern Flicker and another Magnolia Warbler on opposite page. In bottom sketch I was trying to get Magnolia stretching his neck to reach food.


Next page has Golden-crowned Kinglet and Ruby-crowned Kinglet at top, birds whose relatives have been so ably captured by Tim, and an immature Black-crowned Night Heron below. On opposite page a Nothern Flicker and a Red Saddlebags dragonfly, a really handsome species. It was in a field of orange and green pumpkins and I hope will eventually appear in a painting, perhaps with the nearby Savannah Sparrows.

Next page has a Dunlin at Brigantine NWR north of Cape May, along with a mature Bald Eagle as well as an attempt at the ubiquitous Yellow-rumped Warbler. On opposite page my attempts at migrating raptors with two Sharp-shinned Hawks at top, Nothern Harrier at bottom, and an Eastern Comma butterfly in between.


And lastly a Royal Tern with tucked in Greater Yellowlegs on right and kiting Osprey and perched Northern Harrier on left. That beautiful immature harrier of course left before I could finish him. He was quite a sight. So was the Osprey. I'm sure I didn't capture the curvature of his body but I wanted to at least give it a try.

 

[solitaryVSong]

And one last page. At left a too distant seabird, possibly White-winged Scoter, followed by Indigo Bunting, hint of Common Moorhen and Purple Finch at bottom. At right a Stilt Sandpiper, Pied-billed Grebe and Ruddy Duck and finally a Virginia Rail from memory.

We saw Soras and Virginia Rails almost every night. But it was always so dark, so crowded with birders, and so cold that I still feel like I didn't make the best of quite an opportunity. Still I can't complain. Rails are a rare sight for us.

 

[timwootton]

Cor - some sumptious bits and bobs here alright Ken - just looking at some of the species, let alone the lovely renditions makes the birder artist salivate. And as if to accentuate an earlier point; beautifully drawn dragon on spread 3. Terrific!!

 

[ed keeble]

Thanks Tony, Mike.

Just got back from Cape May and as I hope sketches will show there was just too much there to make it up the extra 40-50 miles to Barnegat Ed. Though I do think it's probably too early for Harlequinsc

as Tim says- fine page with dragon- I do wish ours had the saddlebags splots patches and bars on the wings

I don't know when the Harlequins appear at Barnegat, tho' I do know they stay into April, so no pressure!

 

[nickderry]

The shops here have all got their catalogues out with christmas present ideas, these last few sheets remind me of those, a beautiful record of what looks like a wonderful trip.

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

A joy to behold Ken