Sunday 29 November 2015
Ocelot Painting So far..
So this is the first time I've attempted a grisaille painting method on a wildlife painting. I'm currently working on the tonal greyscale painting and then I'm going to glaze in the colour later. Here are the first three stages:
In the first stage I use diluted paint to sketch out the ocelot on the canvas along with a quick wash of the background.
Once this was dry I roughed out the base tones of the ocelot along with the markings. This stage actually took forever to dry so in future I'm thinking of adding a little liquin to the paint I'm using. Liquin is a thin medium which is added to paint for glazing but which also speeds up the drying time of paint.
This is where the painting is at following the second layer of paint. The aim at this stage was to make sure the background is dark and that the base tones, shapes, and markings of the ocelot are done to where details can then be worked in. Generally this will mean the lightest highlights and darks will not yet be present and the tones themselves are a couple of shades darker so I can put in the lighter fur details later.
Thursday 12 November 2015
Viva Africa
10 years ago after getting my diploma in Fine Art I headed off to South Africa for a month. I was 19 and had never traveled on my own before, let alone that far, and I'm still kind of surprised I actually did it. I stayed at a place called Moholoholo - a wildlife rehabilitation centre where I was one of the English & Dutch volunteers working there. We lived in a lodge within the reserve bordered by the cheetah enclosure and close by the rescued circus lions and spotted hyenas who would roar and whoop at nightfall and occassionally a lizard or gecko would visit us in our rooms by climbing through the thatched ceiling.
Why am I mentioning something that happened so long ago? Well, when I was studying art at college we tackled lots of different subject matter from still lifes to animation, but I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do. Looking back, going to Africa is where that changed for me.
Having done a work placement at a local wildlife park whilst at school and growing up around pets in the countryside the idea of helping out at a wildlife centre is something that immediately appealed to me. When I got there I was put into a group with other volunteers with an assigned morning/afternoon round.
The rounds consisted of watering/feeding certain animals at the centre, as well as cleaning enclosures and clinic. Animals that were on my round consisted of the ex-circus lions and Shadow the Spotted hyena, Guardian the Verreux eagle, the courtyard menageria of rabbits, dassies, and duiker, a pair of tawny eagles, a trio of friendly purring servals, the rather intimidating lappet-faced vultures, and Mama Rotti the giant rat who, being rather civillised, ate cereal off a spoon.
As well as my feeding round I also had aviary duties proving a mix of 'nectar' vials and a mushy mixture of wetted dog biscuits and flying ants for the birds. I hung out with a caracal called Desi and the bug-hungry meerkat Shaniki, and bottlefed a pair of cheetah cubs as well as a young kudu called Koda. Now, by this point this may sound like everything is sunshine and rainbows but it is important to remember that it was a rescue centre for wildlife where the persecution of wildlife and its effects would make its presence known.
I remember a duiker, a type of small antelope, being carried in to clinic by a ranger, bleating. One of it's hind feet had gone, just a stub of bone muddied and dirtied with a scrap of fur hanging. It had being caught in a snare and in the end had to be shot. A similar incidence involved us rescuing four cheetahs under threat of being shot. A trio of males and a lone female with her foot also damaged by a snare. The males, healthy, were transferred to another centre, but after trying to save the foot, the female had to be sadly put down. We also spent one morning running after vultures in the African bush after a poisoned Kudu carcass was eaten by vultures. Many were already deal but we were able to catch and purge the stomachs of birds that we found still alive to save them. And the day before I left to return to England we heard a farmer had shot an elephant to protect his crops and was threatening to shoot others in the area. We turned up to take the remains of the elephant away to make the most of a bad situation by using the meat to provide food for the animals at the centre whilst the officials towed away the head to stop the ivory from being stolen.
I had briefly met the famous wildlife artist David Shepherd not long before my trip and, inspired, made sure to take a camera and sketchbook with me on my trip. I spent quite a few lunchtimes sitting by or in the enclosures sketching the animals. Surprisingly, I even did a pet portrait.
One of the other girls, also a Katie, came up to me one day with a small photo of her springer spaniel dog who had not long ago passed away and I drew him for her. She got a little choked up when I handed it over to her. I confess that it surprised me - I didn't actually think art could have that kind of impact and I was glad I could give her something more of her pet. Seeing that kind of reaction made me realise the impact art can have.
So it's perhaps not that surprising that this trip had the impact it did on the direction of my artwork. When I got back the first artwork I tried weren't paintings but some digital art pieces I made in Paintshop Pro 7 with limited success as I didn't have a graphics tablet and I was using a right-handed mouse (I'm a lefty!). These were some of the first images I put online too for other people to see.
After this I did some drawings and watercolour and acrylic paintings. I don't know what exactly led me to oil painting, maybe I just fancied trying them out again, but this trip is what led me to wildlife. Even this many years later those four weeks out in Africa are vivid in my mind and I'm still drawing inspiration from it. Here's to the next 10!
 |
| A pair of caracals at the reserve |
Why am I mentioning something that happened so long ago? Well, when I was studying art at college we tackled lots of different subject matter from still lifes to animation, but I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do. Looking back, going to Africa is where that changed for me.
Having done a work placement at a local wildlife park whilst at school and growing up around pets in the countryside the idea of helping out at a wildlife centre is something that immediately appealed to me. When I got there I was put into a group with other volunteers with an assigned morning/afternoon round.
The rounds consisted of watering/feeding certain animals at the centre, as well as cleaning enclosures and clinic. Animals that were on my round consisted of the ex-circus lions and Shadow the Spotted hyena, Guardian the Verreux eagle, the courtyard menageria of rabbits, dassies, and duiker, a pair of tawny eagles, a trio of friendly purring servals, the rather intimidating lappet-faced vultures, and Mama Rotti the giant rat who, being rather civillised, ate cereal off a spoon.
 |
| We had to shoo these big birds to the other side of the enclosure to clean it - they were not amused. |
As well as my feeding round I also had aviary duties proving a mix of 'nectar' vials and a mushy mixture of wetted dog biscuits and flying ants for the birds. I hung out with a caracal called Desi and the bug-hungry meerkat Shaniki, and bottlefed a pair of cheetah cubs as well as a young kudu called Koda. Now, by this point this may sound like everything is sunshine and rainbows but it is important to remember that it was a rescue centre for wildlife where the persecution of wildlife and its effects would make its presence known.
I remember a duiker, a type of small antelope, being carried in to clinic by a ranger, bleating. One of it's hind feet had gone, just a stub of bone muddied and dirtied with a scrap of fur hanging. It had being caught in a snare and in the end had to be shot. A similar incidence involved us rescuing four cheetahs under threat of being shot. A trio of males and a lone female with her foot also damaged by a snare. The males, healthy, were transferred to another centre, but after trying to save the foot, the female had to be sadly put down. We also spent one morning running after vultures in the African bush after a poisoned Kudu carcass was eaten by vultures. Many were already deal but we were able to catch and purge the stomachs of birds that we found still alive to save them. And the day before I left to return to England we heard a farmer had shot an elephant to protect his crops and was threatening to shoot others in the area. We turned up to take the remains of the elephant away to make the most of a bad situation by using the meat to provide food for the animals at the centre whilst the officials towed away the head to stop the ivory from being stolen.
I had briefly met the famous wildlife artist David Shepherd not long before my trip and, inspired, made sure to take a camera and sketchbook with me on my trip. I spent quite a few lunchtimes sitting by or in the enclosures sketching the animals. Surprisingly, I even did a pet portrait.
One of the other girls, also a Katie, came up to me one day with a small photo of her springer spaniel dog who had not long ago passed away and I drew him for her. She got a little choked up when I handed it over to her. I confess that it surprised me - I didn't actually think art could have that kind of impact and I was glad I could give her something more of her pet. Seeing that kind of reaction made me realise the impact art can have.
So it's perhaps not that surprising that this trip had the impact it did on the direction of my artwork. When I got back the first artwork I tried weren't paintings but some digital art pieces I made in Paintshop Pro 7 with limited success as I didn't have a graphics tablet and I was using a right-handed mouse (I'm a lefty!). These were some of the first images I put online too for other people to see.
After this I did some drawings and watercolour and acrylic paintings. I don't know what exactly led me to oil painting, maybe I just fancied trying them out again, but this trip is what led me to wildlife. Even this many years later those four weeks out in Africa are vivid in my mind and I'm still drawing inspiration from it. Here's to the next 10!
Wednesday 4 November 2015
SWLA Wildlife Art exhibition
Running until the 8th is the Society of Wildlife Artists' annual Natural Eye exhibition at the Mall galleries in London.
On display are various depictions of wildlife in media ranging from oils, acrylics, and watercolours, to stylised linocut and monoprinted work, to three dimensional works of wire, bronze, and silver. And much more. Various styles are on display as well from the very realistic to stylised and abstract works, although this year it seemed to me that more abstract works were on display.
This is the third or fourth time I've been to visit and some of the artists' work are instantly recognisable - although I'm still terrible at remembering names! Two that I always notice are Harriet Mead's scrap metal sculptures, this year three were on display (see below) a fish, lapwing, and a fox. The other is Brin Edwards who's bright oil paintings have distinctive square-shaped mark making with bright areas of underpainting breaking through to create a more illustrative outline.
Wildlife art in the exhibition is international in nature including the more exotic along with British wildlife and although there are mammals and insects on display there is a strong lean towards birds.
Looking at the linocuts again I'm tempted to have a go as I do like the distinctive style you can get in them and it was always something that I never got to try out at college much along with woodcuts.
Young artists had their winning and commended artwork on show under young artist awards for various age groups and there was some excellent young talent on display. Other awards were aimed at wildlife conservation issues and were provided by groups such as the RSPB and BTO where wildlife artists accompanied bird ringers and nest checkers to produce sketchwork. The Wildlife Trusts had an Undersea Art Award where an artist traveled to a propose Marine Conservation Zone in Northumberland to produce artwork of the coastal and marine wildlife. This included dive training which sounded particularly appealing to my ears!
On display are various depictions of wildlife in media ranging from oils, acrylics, and watercolours, to stylised linocut and monoprinted work, to three dimensional works of wire, bronze, and silver. And much more. Various styles are on display as well from the very realistic to stylised and abstract works, although this year it seemed to me that more abstract works were on display.
 |
| From left to right: Gannets - Alastair Proud, Hare - Max Angus, Seals - John Threlfall |
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| (Above) Harriet Mead's lapwing and fish scrap metal sculptures (Below) Brin Edward's Oystercatcher |
Wildlife art in the exhibition is international in nature including the more exotic along with British wildlife and although there are mammals and insects on display there is a strong lean towards birds.
 |
| Sloth - Simon Turvey, Little Grebe - Richard Allen, Swallows - Adam Binder |
Looking at the linocuts again I'm tempted to have a go as I do like the distinctive style you can get in them and it was always something that I never got to try out at college much along with woodcuts.
Young artists had their winning and commended artwork on show under young artist awards for various age groups and there was some excellent young talent on display. Other awards were aimed at wildlife conservation issues and were provided by groups such as the RSPB and BTO where wildlife artists accompanied bird ringers and nest checkers to produce sketchwork. The Wildlife Trusts had an Undersea Art Award where an artist traveled to a propose Marine Conservation Zone in Northumberland to produce artwork of the coastal and marine wildlife. This included dive training which sounded particularly appealing to my ears!
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