Diane Young Artist

Printmaker ~ Painter ~ Every Picture tells a story ~ Artwork ©Diane Young

Tag Archives: bird art


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Painting to Printmaking

Taking on a new technique can be good move for exploration, experimentation and rejuvenating creative energy! I really did need a change at the end of 2019 as I had ground to pretty much a halt. Collagraph printmaking is a completely different approach to painting and so now I have two very distinctive styles; painting up until 2019 and printmaking for 2020 and ongoing. Today my work is more textural, incorporating different techniques including monoprinting using dried leaves with nature continuing to be my inspiration.

The Kite below was printed using a mountboard collagraph plate, the leaves are monoprints added after the paper has dried and the bird has a little burnt sienna and yellow watercolour also reflected in small detail on the leaves.

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From Nuthatch to Peregrine – Birds for Art

Having mainly  focused on birds this year with my painting I fancied engaging more directly with my subject matter by trying out some bird watching.

Symonds Yat in Gloucestershire is known to have a successful breeding pair of Peregrine falcons.

The first reward for me was not seeing a Peregrine but instead two Nuthatches up close and snapping some half decent photos.

Luckily for me some time later I happened to have in sight the take-off point from which one of the Peregrine Falcons took to the wing and soared out across the Wye Valley below us.  There was a nice atmosphere between the regular birdwatchers who enthusiastically share information.  It was nice to get there early before the throng of tourists and walkers poured in nearer to lunchtime, and needless to say that is when I snuck away.

Photo of a Nuthatch sitting on a branchNuthatch pecking at a tree trunk by Artist Diane Young

 

Peregrine photo below is courtesy of Pixabay images.

Peregrine, Falcon, Bird, Raptor, Profile

 


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Bird Feeder : Peanuts for the Great Tit

I wonder often how to anchor my art ideas down.  There is so much to choose from when it comes to making a picture .But at the start of this year my paint sketches have the anchor that is my own experience in a given day.

I set up a lovely looking bird feeding stand in the summer, only to solemnly and regularly dump the rejected rotting food in the bin for a fresh supply in the hope that at some point the local bird community might regard my garden as an OK place to feast on sunflower heart seeds, niger seeds, suet balls, and peanuts,  it has all been there with no takers.

Finally as the weather cooled to winter some birds have found the bird food acceptable. Although it all still seems a bit sporadic.

The Great Tit has been to the feeder in the tree, so here is a quick painting sketch of a Great Tit to complement my success.

Great Tit perched on a tree Painting by Artist Diane YOung