Eider ducks and Labradors

'Common Eider' © Tracy Hall 2009

2" x 2" watercolour on rag board

My latest miniature is of an Eider drake having a snooze (with a ghost penny for scale). Being right on the shore we get a lot of these wonderful ducks meandering past, or just sitting about, and they are known locally as 'dunters'. They are surprisingly big, but I think the best thing about them is their call which seems to carry for miles...if you have never heard them, do take a moment to hear them on the RSPB site (click on 'listen'). If you stand outside on a still evening it sounds like a bunch of gossips gathered on the beach cooing over the latest juicy story :)

And below is what I have been doing during the day lately. Both paintings have some of my more imaginative titles. Really must work on that.

'Labradors' © Tracy Hall 2009

20" x 28" watercolour on arches

Landscape in miniature

Black-headed Gulls at Burray Pier © Tracy Hall 2009

2" x 3.5" watercolour on board

A new miniature shown enlarged here with a penny for scale. I should do the same view in a gale - the little cottage in the distance was standing in three feet of water during a particularly bad one a few winters ago, a little island all on its own. And the pier completely vanished. But its very hard to beat on a calm summer's day :)

Miniatures Step by Step article

If you would like to have a go at painting in miniature but are not sure where to start, you might enjoy an article I was asked to do for the current edition of Leisure Painter. It includes details on all the materials I use as well as a demo of my painting 'Chimfunchi Chimpanzee' from start to finish. I managed to remember to note down what I was doing as I went along (an achievement in itself, believe me) and scanned the progress. The magazine have done a beautiful job and I hope its helpful.

(Update - If you click on the pictures it should now be downloadable as a pdf file. If I did it properly!)

I've already had a few readers get in touch keen to find out more, which has been lovely, and one who had followed the demo with great results. Do remember (as this lady kindly did) if you decide to have a go that the resulting work cannot be entered into shows or sold - the purpose of the 'step by steps' in the magazine is to learn something new and have fun! The original painting can be seen at the Royal Miniature Society exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London from Oct 13th - 25th.

I am now going offline while I set up a new PC. Wish me luck - and if you don't hear from me for a while you can guess why...

Crofter's Cottage painting

' The Inbye' Tracy Hall 2009

28" x 20" watercolour on Arches

This painting has been fun to work on. It is based on a traditional 'But and Ben' crofter's cottage, and this part was called the 'inbye'. I combined elements from the farm museums and vintage centre in Orkney, together with aspects of my parents house which was virtually unchanged when they bought it and still had the original box beds (they're very cosy!). Plus a little artistic license admittedly.

In front of the stove is an Orkney Chair - the high straw backs were ideal for keeping you warm on a drafty winter's night! The tradition of making them is still alive and well in the islands today - visit young craftsman Kevin Gould's website to see some of the beautiful furniture he makes.

Miniature paintings

'Fascination' © Tracy Hall 2009

1.75" x 2.25" watercolour on board (with ghost penny for scale)

Two new miniatures finished. The larger paintings are still not done and I am blaming a persistent cold which had me working in slow motion for the best part of a week. 'Fascination' features one of a litter of kittens we had a few years back; they have cropped up in quite a lot of paintings, although they're not always tabby :) This one was inspired by their first outing into the big wide world (the garden) and watching their tentative encounters with everything from beetles to dogs.

I think I will need to rescan the garden scene below as the colours are doing funny things, but here is it for now as I don't have time today:

'A quiet spot' Tracy Hall 2009
2" x 2" watercolour on board