Oil on linen
Signed on the front.
A dynamic centrepiece with loads of movement; this piece follows the flight path of a little kingfisher diving into swift water. The inspiration was an afternoon spent sitting on the bank of the Tumut River, NSW pposite a little inlet where the swift water overflowed into the shallows under the shade of the trees and a little kingfisher swooped in and proceeded to fish, diving suddenly into the water and flitting out again, over and over. The bird was so fast all we could make out was the flash of colour and movement, and, when it was still a moment, a vague outline to the naked eye from a distance.
I began with washes of green and sienna for a watery effect, and to allow light through. Then used a Japanese squirrel calligraphy brush to work up the dark depths of the forest and the shallows. The final touches were deft flicks of the brush where the light catches leaves, stalks and little birds in flight.
It is done on triple-primed quality Italian linen. The work is unstretched so will require framing, but there is ample free material around the edges to accommodate any frame style you choose or simply to stretch over a backing frame (ask me about getting this done for you, if you wish). I like to work on unstretched linen as it saves the buyer on shipping costs, and saves the need for bubble wrap which is not readily recyclable.