Out and About

I did manage to get to the museum yesterday and drew a couple of pheasants. My favourite was the Silver Pheasant, simple black and white plumage with beautiful markings. I'd love to make a long etched plate of one of these birds. I've had to scan it over a few different pages and haven't quite managed to get him all in, but you get the idea!

Today I went back to Castle Espie. I got in contact with the staff a few weeks ago to ask if they had any specimens and they showed me to the attic where they have a secret stash of old, dusty birds. It was great!

View of Stangford Lough from Castle Espie.

Tomorrow I hope to get to the Belfast Print Workshop and finally join! I always get nervous when it comes to taking steps towards printmaking again, I love it, but it's such a wide area of possibilities it slightly daunts me. I think this is a good thing though!

Duck Duck Goose Goose

Yesterday we took a trip down the coast of Strangford Lough to Castle Espie. Castle Espie is part of the Uk's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and is home to lots of ducks, geese, swans, waders, and all other seabirds. There is a lot of work going on at the moment, creating new pools and a salt marsh and a fresh water area,  but it was still a great trip. I fully intend to come back and spend a day or two drawing.

Look at these little beauties! They are American Wood Ducks. Very pretty

An Eider Duck and a Greylag Goose

 

Here is the view across the Lough. You can see Scrabo Tower on the hill.

When the drawing isn't going well I always find a change of hand does the trick. I don't know why, I think it's to do with being less precious with your opposite hand and the lines become looser and somehow capture what you're drawing better.

A handsome Whooper Swan

I loved the colours here

The park sells little bags of grain so you can feed the ducks in the small pond area. My 9 month old nephew loved all the birds, he seems to like animals a lot, always wants to get closer. Not the best idea with a hissing goose!