WIP (= work in progress...)
Well, I was planning to finish one of my half done paintings the last few days of this week, but instead I started 2 other paintings... I am quite excited about the last one though, so I here it comes.
Last year I found a new species of predator bird that I have never seen before. And against my normal 'rules' that I only paint birds that I have actually seen in real life, I wanted immediately to paint this beautiful kite (Glada). It is approximately the same size as a Common Kestrel (Tornfalk), and behaves quite in the same way. This kite is also famous for hovering in the air while hunting. It is a beautiful almost totally white raptor with bright red eyes. It should be found here in China, so if I am very lucky I will have a chance of seeing it yet... The funny part is that there are three different 'kinds' of this bird, depending on where it lives. To my eye all three look exactly the same. But according to the ornithologist, there are some minor differences between them. They used to be known by the same name, but today they are cataloged as three different, although closely related, species.
Australia: Black-shouldered Kite ( Elanus Axillaris)
North America: White-tailed Kite ( Elanus Leucurus)
Eurasia/Africa: Black-winged Kite (Elanus Caeruleus)
Anyhow... Here are first the two pages with the kite from my Inspirational Journal, my sketch book where I try out compositions and plan paintings. Collage with different papers, watercolors, acrylics and what nots... A4.
With the first one I have started experimenting on canvas to get the perfect background, but there are still some work to be done before I will even start thinking of adding the bird. The second is the one I have already started to paint the bird on to canvas, being satisfied with the background.
You have to agree with me that it is a beautiful bird!
Below is the painting: canvas size 40x30cm. The background is build up by many layers of chinese book pages, over painted with acrylics. The bird itself I started painting direct in oils. This is the first blocking in stage, and I hope to get that stage finished today.
Last year I found a new species of predator bird that I have never seen before. And against my normal 'rules' that I only paint birds that I have actually seen in real life, I wanted immediately to paint this beautiful kite (Glada). It is approximately the same size as a Common Kestrel (Tornfalk), and behaves quite in the same way. This kite is also famous for hovering in the air while hunting. It is a beautiful almost totally white raptor with bright red eyes. It should be found here in China, so if I am very lucky I will have a chance of seeing it yet... The funny part is that there are three different 'kinds' of this bird, depending on where it lives. To my eye all three look exactly the same. But according to the ornithologist, there are some minor differences between them. They used to be known by the same name, but today they are cataloged as three different, although closely related, species.
Australia: Black-shouldered Kite ( Elanus Axillaris)
North America: White-tailed Kite ( Elanus Leucurus)
Eurasia/Africa: Black-winged Kite (Elanus Caeruleus)
Anyhow... Here are first the two pages with the kite from my Inspirational Journal, my sketch book where I try out compositions and plan paintings. Collage with different papers, watercolors, acrylics and what nots... A4.
With the first one I have started experimenting on canvas to get the perfect background, but there are still some work to be done before I will even start thinking of adding the bird. The second is the one I have already started to paint the bird on to canvas, being satisfied with the background.
You have to agree with me that it is a beautiful bird!
In other news.... we have an Italian evening planned for tonight at our place. My husband has ordered lasagna, tuna pasta, pesto pasta and 5 different pizzas from me. So now you all know what I will be doing the whole afternoon today!! I made the dessert yesterday already, I tried my hand at my first Tiramisu ever... We have a bottle of limoncello in the refrigerator, so the only thing missing now is some italian music and then the plans for tonight will be complete. Hmmm, lets find some Pavarotti!!!! :)
Ciao!
The kite is certainly gorgeous, and I like your background treatments, especially the Chinese book pages. I would love to see one of these, myself, and I hope you do get to see one. Can't wait to see how the third painting turns out!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sharmon! The backgrounds are really fun to make, and I try to experiment with a little of this and that... Hopefully I will soon have an update to share with you!
DeleteYour painting is beautiful and the collage background so interesting! I saw you joined my blog! I love birds! What media are you using to paint them?
ReplyDeleteYour backgrounds remind me of another artist from Austrailia who is on my side blog. I think the name is Begin Again. You might like to see her work too.
Thank you Marjorie! Yes, I like watching other peoples experiments in mixed media, and I love the texture and the text that you often incorporate in your work...
DeleteIn the pieces in my art journal I usually use book pages, papers, watercolors, acrylics, pencil and ink, but sometimes also gouache and crayons. In my paintings on canvas I always start with the under composition of the book pages and papers, if I use them. Then I use acrylic paint and paint the background as it was an abstract painting in itself, before adding the bird on top of it all in oils.
Thank you for the suggestion, I will certainly go and check out her blog!!
My mistake- the blog I mentioned is And Then She Said...
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear from you and just want to say how I love your work and how fun it must be to be in China! It's so exciting to see other collage work from other artists. I've been having much fun experimenting with collage in the past few years.
ReplyDeleteThank you Marjorie! Living in China is interesting indeed... The food is absolutely delicious, and I love being able to paint full-time here. My husband is at work as an expat in a huge paper mill here, and we still have a few years to go in China. Experimenting with collage technique is quite new for me, but I love doing it!!
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