Wildlife
Just before Dusk
That is when I saw it, though they fly well into the night too. It looked silvery in the moorland evening light, and then seemed to disappear when it landed, and though I carefully marked the spot where it settled, when I got to it there was no sign. The Green Carpet is so […]
Mice are Nice
I agree with Rose Fyleman in her poem I think mice are rather nice; Their tails are long, their faces small; They haven’t any chins at all. Their ears are pink, their teeth are white, They run about the house at night, They nibble things they shouldn’t touch, and, no one seems to like […]
A Plain and Simple Stone Birdbath
How gorgeous it is to let the natural textures and colouring of this Yorkstone be the guide for the styling of this simple stone birdbath. I think it lends a homely, rustic feel with just enough chiselling to hollow out a bowl from which the birds can drink and bathe. A natural, understated feature […]
Owlet Sculpture
The Barn Owlets I watched last year left a huge impression, and continue to influence my sculpture. When finding somewhere to roost Barn Owls favour dilapidated, or near derelict buildings. Perhaps this is because they are usually uninhabited and undisturbed. They have favourite places to perch too, returning to the same spot on the […]
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2019
In previous years I’ve sketched the birds I’ve seen during the Big Garden Birdwatch survey. This time I thought I’d try and model them in clay instead, sculpt them directly during the hour watch. It is a wonderful challenge, requiring me to work very quickly, where normally I would be slow and meticulous to […]
Turtle Dove Conservation – Exhibition
Last year I went to a talk about the Turtle Dove Project in North Yorkshire and was really inspired by the work that was being done. At the time I really wanted to do something to help too, and began to make my surrounds a little more Turtle Dove friendly. I have wondered if […]
The Nuthatch – a very endearing bird
Last year was a bit of a Nuthatch year for me. During the Big Garden Birdwatch at the beginning of 2017, it was the Nuthatch I sketched. Little did I know then that the pair at the feeders were to nest in my old Sycamore tree, and raise young, that year and last year […]
A Loveliness of Ladybirds
As a result of the clocks going back I discover that the collective name for Ladybirds (Ladybugs, Ladybeetles) is a Loveliness. A Loveliness I’m sure I should have known this, it seems so obvious now! And perfect! I clambered up into the rafters at the workshop to alter the clock hands, back one […]
Wildlife Artists
The Society of Wildlife Artists annual exhibition The Natural Eye opens today at the Mall Galleries, running until Sunday 4th November, 2018. Over 350 works are shown – all created by artists dedicated to and inspired by wildlife. What could be better!? If you like wildlife art that is! There’s a […]
Barn Owl Sculpture
Over the last few months it has been busy with Barn Owls, I’ve seen them in flight quartering the fields and returning with food for youngsters, and more recently the new-fledged owlets making their first tentative explorations of the world beyond the nest box. Though these initial flights appear rather haphazard and ungainly, (suggesting […]