DAWN OVER THE PAT SING LENG - BLACK KITE

As with many of my paintings, they seem to develop as I go along and many become part of a theme. The early morning light seen here was such a theme and I explored it in watercolor and also in oils. Some of the works were landscapes, others such as the Black Kite above, more wildlife oriented. I painted this one when I lived in Hong Kong and as mentioned in an earlier post, managed to get excellent reference if these birds so for once, it was easier to develop what I had into a painting. The view is one of looking down the mountainside during a hazy morning just before the sun rises. The background seems slightly too purplish in this image, perhaps because it is was scanned from a slide and as I no longer have the original, can't be sure about the true colors, Still, the painting is one that I am happy with and brings back many fond memories. Size is about 20" x 30" (51cm x 76cm), oil on canvas, private collection.

SKETCHBOOK STUDIES

Some smaller studies done mostly in my sketchbooks - all from life. The immature Gryfalcon was seen at a wildlife art show some years back, first drawn from life then the above study finished in the studio.

Studies of an immature American Crow drawn via a telescope from my studio. The Greylag Goose done from a waterfowl collection in the UK.

This feather found on a walk near where I live, most likely from a Red-shouldered Hawk. They breed in the nearby woods and are almost always seen when we go that way. In spring their shrill and loud calling comes from high up in the sky as they soar over our home proclaiming their territory.

These unusual seed pods are from the Sweetgum Tree (Liquidambar stryaciflua). A mature tree grows just up the street and later in the year, these pods lie scattered all over the ground, the small seeds are inside and come out if you shake the pod.  Would love to rake up a few hundred and use them in the garden as mulch - they have a fascinating structure and invite closer study. All these studies done in watercolor - sizes vary.

EARLY MORNING IV

I was wandering about outside one morning after a night of snow and saw this unusual cloud formation. Since there was only a light wind, I was able to work in comfort and completed the sky first working quickly while the cloud pattern was still fresh in my mind. Most of these smaller paintings I try and finish outside but sometimes as in this case, the painting was completed in the studio. Mostly this consisted of the finer details in the trees and grasses etc but I also touched up the sky in places. There is a strong horizontal feeling to this work, the bands of thin cloud are echoed in the foreground by the grasses and to a lesser extent, the patterns in the snow. Oil on canvas, 9" x 12" (23cm x 30cm). Private collection.