Collared Dove in Miniature

'Collared Dove' Tracy Hall 2009

1.75" x 2.25" Watercolour on board (enlarged with a penny for scale)

I really enjoy watching the birds come to the feeders in the garden. In the morning and early evening the light is beautiful (when the sun is out admittedly!). Amongst the sparrows and finches we sometimes get visits from a pair of collared doves as well - hence this new miniature painting. I have a little more work to do on the leaves before this one is finally completed, but am itching to get on with the next one so am going to come back to it next week.

Oystercatchers miniature watercolour painting

'Oystercatchers' © Tracy Hall 2009

1.75" x 2.25" watercolour on board

(shown enlarged with penny for scale)

The fields and verges here have been busy with nesting oystercatchers in recent weeks, with one pair choosing the tattie field for the second year running (they hatched two chicks but only have one left). In this painting I decided to put them back on the shore because that is where they are most usually found when they aren't nesting. And I like painting stones :)

Above is a photo of the painting framed, fairly near to lifesize; the whole thing measures 3.75" x 4.25" (a miniature painting can fit in the palm of your hand).

Pheasant miniature painting

(Untitled - Black Pheasant) © Tracy Hall 2009

1.75" x 2.25" Watercolour on board

This is my latest miniature, almost complete I think. It is shown enlarged with a 'phantom' penny for scale. Just in case you thought I had fallen off the planet :)

We are lucky enough to have a pair of black (or 'melanistic') pheasants who visit the garden regularly, most recently with their latest youngsters in tow. I think all pheasants are beautiful but these have gorgeous, irridencent markings that change in every light; blues, purples and greens. It may be my imagination but they seem larger than the regular variety too. I have several paintings of them planned - and they will look different in all of them I expect! Here's a photo of them marching across the back lawn:

...And a new painting for a greeting card company to finish off a particularly busy week. The tractor is a fergie 35 - we have one of these but I had to pretty it up a bit as ours is not quite so smart these days. Its not even 'fergie red' at the moment. (Eagle eyed viewers may remember seeing it planting tatties a little while back on this blog).

'Old Adversaries' © Tracy Hall 2009