Today I launch 16 new prints & paintings, my expressive birds collection, it's a big day!
How did I create this collection?
This has been an evolution of my sketchbook work, some dating back around 4 years.
I drew these back in lockdown and wanted to revisit creating artwork on a painted background. I really struggle with my bird art, wanting to make it perfect but what I really want to create is more free and expressive art. So I started sketchbooking in a more experimental way. Through that work, I decided to try and create a painting where I start with the background, roughly placing colours in the right place(ish) and adding splatters and blooms.
Once dry, I lightly sketch where the bird should be, based on where the colours settled - this often meant where there's white on a bird, there was actually colour, forcing me to let go of perfectionisim.
Once I'd created the first one (the kingfisher) I was hooked, I painted up more backgrounds to dry and set to work on painting more and more, learning each time from the challenges I faced. Before I knew it, I had 16 expressive bird paintings done and what a beautiful collection they make.
They are, without a doubt, some of my best work and most creative, they're a collection I'm really proud of and can't wait to create more of them, exploring other subject matters in this style. I might even combine this background style with an overlay of a lino print, could make for a colourful tenby harbour print! So much potential!
