Moving my printmaking forward… finally trying out ideas I have held in my mind for ages… I like where these are going…

Strutting Curlew linocut with monoprint andmixed media on board

#linocut #curlewprint #contemporarylinoprint #contemporaryprjntmaking #printmakingtoday #printmakingonboard #get_imprinted #ukprintmakers

Following on from the wonderful Painting by Emily Bronte I thought I would post a few paintings of birds of prey… I have always been totally fascinated by them and remember them being my first real chosen subject matter in my early teens ( I must dig them out). Since then it feels like I have been trying to get away from painting wildlife but somehow I just cant… I often set out to do something completely different… but never quite achieve it 😀 its obviously meant for me… my landscapes have to have birds may be because for me there are always birds (thankfully).

I was very fortunate to care for a couple of Buzzards last year as part of my voluntary work for West Cornwall Wildlife Volunteers, although they are not the sort of birds (when wild) to form a relationship with as captivity is so stressful for them as it is for most wildlife. Thankfully after rest and medication I was able to release them back to the wild.

I dont have any buzzard (or Merlin) paintings at the moment but I did focus a bird of the month in my booklet on them in September 2020 which you can find on my website.

These paintings are A4 mixed media (watercolour, ink & graphite etc.) also now on my website if you would like further information.

https://ift.tt/3xei8K3

#wildlifeart #kestrelpainting #hawkpainting #sparrowhakpainting #hawkart #falconart #peregrinefalconpainting #wildlifeartist #emilybronte #nerothemerlin

There have been lots of birthdays of inspiring and interesting people this week… today is no exception.

Its Emily Brontes Birthday today…and this is one of her gorgeous paintings from 1841, its a watercolour of her pet merlin that was rescued from the moors.

I remember the Brontes from my childhood as my Mum was very interested in the stories of the family… I think there had been an adaptation serialised on the TV of the 1970s version of wuthering heights and Kate Bush was singing about it at the time. It always made me want to live in a wild place… and so maybe it is responsible in part for my choice of home as it can be a little wild here in the winter! I visited Haworth a few years ago and was amazed by the tiny writing and beautiful books in the museum.

Here is a poem by Emily Brontë

Past, Present, Future

Tell me, tell me, smiling child,
What the past is like to thee ?
‘An Autumn evening soft and mild
With a wind that sighs mournfully.’

Tell me, what is the present hour ?
‘A green and flowery spray
Where a young bird sits gathering its power
To mount and fly away.’

And what is the future, happy one ?
‘A sea beneath a cloudless sun ;
A mighty, glorious, dazzling sea
Stretching into infinity.’

#emilybronte #nerothemerlin #emilybrontepoem #emilybrintepainting

This little linocut Skylark was one I made a few days ago for the August Bird of the month.

Its Gerald Manely Hopkins Birthday today he was born in 1844. It was only after his death on the 8th June 1889 (aged 44 of Typhoid Fever) that his poems began to be published. By 1930 his work was recognised as one of the most original literary accomplishments of his century. Sadly conflict between his religious obligations and his poetic talent made him feel he had failed at both.

Windhover is one of his most well known poems (well to me anyway) but in the August Bird of the month I have included his poem called

The Sea and the Skylark

On ear and ear two noises too old to end
Trench – right, the tide that ramps against the shore;
With a flood or a fall, low lull-off or all roar,
Frequenting there while moon shall wear and wend.

Left hand, off land, I hear the lark ascend,
His rash-fresh re-winded new-skeined score
In crisps of curl off wild winch whirl, and pour
And pelt music, till none’s to spill nor spend.

How these two shame this shallow and frail town!
How ring right out our sordid turbid time,
Being pure! We, life’s pride and cared-for crown,

Have lost that cheer and charm of earth’s past prime:
Our make and making break, are breaking, down
To man’s last dust, drain fast towards man’s first slime.

His final years were not happy ones and he didnt like where he lived in Dublin…I am not sure when this was written but it may reflect his feelings at that time?

My newsletter went out this afternoon with the little ebook based on the Skylark

You can join my mailing list by subscribing free here
https://ift.tt/3uybDjS and you will be able to read this months ebook as a free pdf download.

No catches just an email newsletter and a free download. links in my profile.

#illustration #wildlifeillustration #wildlifeart #birdart #artshare #instaart #artoninstagram #loveart #WhatIDo #birdart #artoninstagram #loveart #buyart #zine #ebook #solstice #linocut #linoprint #printmaker #geraldmanelyhopkins #poemsofinstagram #wildlifepoetry #linocut #skylark #printmakers #originalprintmaking #linoprint

My newsletter went out this Morning and this time my little ebook is about the Skylark because I was delighted to see one up on one of my higher fields… I am hopeful it may have nested there…

You can join my mailing list by subscribing free here
https://ift.tt/3uybDjS and you will be able to read this months ebook in full as a free pdf download.

No catches just an email newsletter and a free download. links in my profile.

#illustration #wildlifeillustration #wildlifeart #birdart #artshare #instaart #artoninstagram #loveart #collectart #WhatIDo #birdart #zine #ebook #skylark #skylarkpainting #skylarkpoem