Treetop rooks

Here's my latest linocut print, a very simple design...



Treetop rooks, printed area 4" by 6"

My inspiration came from a view I saw from the car window, as we were driving through the countryside on our way to the Farmers' Market one day a few weekends back. There was a line of trees on the far side of a field, and perched at the very tips of the branches was a large flock of rooks - they were strung out along the tops of the trees like black bunting. When I got back home I did some sketches, and based the design for the print on these. This was great fun once again, especially as I tried out a new technique for me - a blend:

Special thanks go to Teresa, who kindly sent me an 'easycarve' soft lino block to play with!

This will be my last post for 2012 - may I wish you all a very happy and productive 2013! See you in the new year!

Softly in the frost goes the owl

First of all, I hope that all of you who celebrate in the holiday season have had a great time! I certainly did (ate too much again...)

So here's a new reduction linocut print, inspired by the barn owls I occasionally see around here.

Softly in the frost goes the owl
This is a 4-colour hand-pulled reduction linocut print, in an edition of 8. These were gifts for family and friends, and I have to say that this was great fun to do. I'm hoping to do more printmaking in the new year.

Fieldfare

Once again I was pleased to take part in the Christmas Card exchange on the Painting Friends forum. This year my card went to a young lady in California. I decided to paint a fieldfare, a kind of thrush. These birds breed in Scandinavia, and we see them in the UK in the winter, as they fly west to avoid the harsh northern European winter...

Ink and watercolour, 5 by 7" ish

These are probably my favourite winter visitors, and as it happens, this year I am contributing to the Winter Thrush survey by the British Trust for Ornithology, so am on the lookout in particular for flocks of these handsome birds.

More sketching

Sketching some birds from my own ref photos, just doodling away, keeps me happy!