Much enlarged above and nearer actual size below:
Rook and Red Admiral (untitled as yet) © Tracy Hall 2008
Watercolour 2.25" X 1.75"
This week I completed my latest miniature - a rook and red admiral butterfly perched on a tumbled down dyke. I enjoyed this one hugely, as I love old rocks and rooks - and also wanted to see if I could get the butterfly to work at 5mm wide. Miniatures are brilliant fun.
I work from photographs for alot of my paintings, but my photography skills often leave quite a bit to be desired try as I might! I don't mind too much though as I can usually get enough for what I need - and the advent of digital must just be the best thing imaginable for camera-challenged artists like myself. Let's just say I'm highly unlikely to ever enter a photography competition :) I often combine several elements from several photos as I have done here; so the wall is on the shore at the edge of one of our fields, the butterfly was actually sitting on a hebe bush in the garden and the rook was waiting for a bit of my fish supper (he was in luck).
This week also saw the opening of the National Exhibition of Wildlife Art - one of the largest of its kind in the UK. I had so hoped to be able to submit some work for it this year but I just didn't have time in the end. Next year though! You can see the selected works and award winners and if you can't get along in person you can also purchase through the website as well. It looks like there have been a good number of sales already and there are lots of wonderful peices on display - I love Terance James Bond's paintings and his 'House Sparrow' is beautiful. I was also rather taken by Jeremy Paul's 'Coal Tit'. There were actually lots more but I didn't write them down :) The exhibition runs until August 3rd. I've also just seen that Gayle Mason (Fur in the Paint) has a wonderful Tiger in the show!
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10 comments:
Hello Tracy,
beautiful new miniature. A lot of details, love the composition, really really great.
I also like the new cat painting, it will be interesting to see it finished. Great job on this too.
Doris
This one is just amazing Tracy. I adore crows and rooks so this has extra appeal to me.
The size you work at and the detail achieved at that size never cease to amaze me.
How long does it take you to complete a piece at this size?
Thank you Doris, cats nearly there I think :)
I'm glad you like crows and rooks too Jeanette, they are brilliant birds aren't they? There's something almost prehistoric about the rooks face. I think this one took about 15 hours? They do vary and time tends to fly a bit when I'm working on them :) I now have reading glasses to help with the eyestrain of working so close (although I apparently have perfect vision!) and I must say they do help. I just have to remember to take them off before I try and walk across the room...
My eyes ache when I see how small you work....but then you have young eyes and I do not....Great work!!!!!!
Thanks so much, Terry! (I also have reading glasses now to help with these little ones :))
Many, many, many congratulations on winning The Royal Society of Miniature Painters Sculptors and Gravers Gold Memorial Bowl with this painting.
This is such a stupendous achievement for somebody who is so new to miniature painting even though we all knew already that you were a great watercolourist and nature artist.
I have to confess that I'm strutting round feeling like a proud mama given your earlier comment to me about entering the society exhibitions this year as a result of my blog post about the Miniature Society Exhibition last year!
Looking forward to seeing you at the Private View - and seeing the work! My eyes can't even contemplate the 5mm for the butterfly!
I imagine all the collectors will be subscribing to your blog in the very near future if they haven't already!
Tracy,
Congratulations on winning! Your miniture painting is an absolute delight and certainly well deserved.
beautiful!
well done on your fantastic achievements!
Congratulations! Found your picture through Making A Mark blog on your Miniature Painting price victory :)
Katherine - I have a wonderful picture now of your strutting around like a proud mama! It was terrific to meet up for lunch and the show, we must do that again.
Thank you so much, Cindy, Vivien and Olechko. Having seen all the work on display there I'm not sure I should have won really - it is incredible. But enjoying it none the less :)
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