New paintings and regular art updates.
A line of gulls on posts, all pointing south. They say birds have a way of using the Earth’s magnetism as a way to navigate. But these were acting like a compass needle! Next time I’m trying to find my way I might watch which way the gulls are facing!
I went a bit psychedelic when I created this. The bare branches and twigs of the bushes in this photo created cells that I used a flood fill on. There are about three birds on the twigs, you might be able to see them.. The buildings are a line of terraced houses over the road from the hedge. It’s a combination of analogue and digital. It reminds me of stained glass.
Owls, painted on a tiny canvas (which is why the canvas surface is so obvious). The beaks and the eyes had tiny pieces of gold leaf to add highlights. Looking at it I might do a few more owl paintings. This is a small picture about 3×4 inches I think I remember? Maybe smaller, it did sell. Again courtesy Facebook memories…
I drew some curves and spirals then started adding doodles, including a couple of birds and a face. I started using a fine line black ink pen, but it was running out so I turned instead to a black calligraphy pen. When I’d finished I decided to add colour. That helped accentuate some of the shapes. I could do more but decided to leave it. I called it phoenix because a bird seemed to ge appearing from the background.
June, before all the leaves had grown on the trees. View out the kitchen window over the main garden. Usually there is a cat in the way but not on this day. The bird feeder on the window didn’t get used. I guess being stared at by an interested looking cat isn’t a good thing when all you want to do is peacefully eat some sunflower seed kernels. This view showed the ripening cherries on the tree, gone and eaten a month later. X
We had a lovely chart in the ‘i’ paper with ots of bird a you can expect to see in your garden. Of the thirty or so species illustrated, I think we get about half visiting our garden. They are Blackbirds, Blue tits, Robins, Song Thrushes, Great tits, Coal tits, a Jay, House sparrows, Woodpigeon, Collared doves, Feral pigeons, Wrens and Magpies. We probably have other species but sometimes it’s hard to identify them. Hubby told me he saw a Nightjar a couple of weeks ago but there has been no sign of it since. The best thing is seeing chick’s being raised. Baby Wrens and Robins, we also have nesting Blue tits and Blackbirds. It means we don’t cut the hedge till late in the year. But I’d rather have a scruffy hedge and happy birds.
X
The blackbirds sing,
The thrushes too
The robins nest,
Their fledglings new.
A magpie there
And pigeons too?
They congregate
And feed on seed.
Blue tits
and house sparrows,
All had their nests.
Feeding them all
Is our happy chore.
Yes eat your fill,
Of cherries ripe.
We’ve had ours now
The rest, enjoy.
Finally finished in June.
After a long hiatus, I’ve finally started painting again. Mostly because there is a socially distanced craft fair on next weekend and I need to earn some money.
This is a kingfisher taken from a shutterstock photo I think. I’ve had the photo on my phone for months.
I love the blue/orange contrasting colours. I’m going to do a few tiny canvases and then one or two nature paintings and flowers from the garden… Plus lots of college work, so it will be a busy week for me… Wish me luck.
X
We just picked all these from the lower branches of our cherry tree. Had to use steps to get at some of them. We go for the lower hanging fruit but try and leave the unripe ones. The birds are getting ready to feast. Some of the fruit has already been pecked. Blackbirds and wood pigeons are particularly partial to them.
Hubby used a broom to hook the branches while I climbed up a couple of steps ( I’m too wobbly to go right up). Then he climbed to strip a well laden branch. Luckily they are bendy so it does no damage to pull on them. We’ve got a bowl full of cherries ready to ripen. Saves them blowing off in the wind which is whipping the branches about. The forecast is for big thunder storms later. It got to 33.3°C in places yesterday. Hot!
A few months ago we were regularly going out for walks. Now I stay in as much as I can. My health problems mean that I have to be very careful.
As people have stopped visiting places there have been less disturbances for nature. Apparently there have been less casualties of baby birds like ducklings. Boats are not travelling up and down rivers and washing out birds nests. There may be more Grebes and Moorhens this year than for the recent past.
I don’t begrudge my walk if it means nature gets its turn!
