new residents...

Hmm, thought we were seeing more wasps than usual this summer...now we know why! Fortunately this is in a shed rather than the house. I'm trying very hard to start liking wasps just a bit having been terrified of them my whole life. This isn't helping though. Even if the structure itself is pretty amazing.

Fruit...

I'm currently working on some larger paintings destined for the puzzle market, most of which I can't really show until they are released unfortunately. But can update with a few snippets periodically - otherwise this blog will remain rather quiet for the rest of the year! Spent yesterday happily working on some apples and pears for a small corner of this painting. Below are some recent releases with companies in the UK and US:

national exhibition of wildlife art

The National Exhibition of Wildlife Art opens this coming friday in Gordale, Wirral and is one of the largest shows of its kind in the UK, with work selected from artists both here and overseas, and I'm very honoured to be included. Conservation is a key element and the exhibition starts off with a Wildlife Awareness Day. All work is for sale and if you are unable to attend in person it is also online after the opening. All profits after the cost of staging the show are donated to wildlife conservation.

The exhibition runs until August 1st. For more information visit the NEWA website.

Update - I think I must have filled in the forms wrong as my two paintings look rather big on the website! The dimensions given are the outer frame size and since I deliberately framed them larger than normal for this show there is no way of knowing online that they are miniatures, only 3.25" x 2" (Heron) and 2" square (Eider). I really must read more carefully. Sigh.

Two new miniature paintings

Jacuna jacuna © Tracy Hall 2010

2.25" x 1.75" watercolour on rag board

Very quiet here, but actually just incredibly busy with other paintings so apologies for the lack of posts recently. However I have managed to complete a couple of new miniatures. Above is the Jacuna - or 'lily trotter' (which is self-explanatory when you see the feet!). Not on lily pads in my painting, but preening. You can only see the pale yellow wing feathers when in flight usually - or preening.

Below is a young black-headed gull on a rusty old boat. I'm not entirely sure its finished yet. Rope is hard at this size too, but fun.

Black-headed Gull © Tracy Hall 2010

2.25" x 1.75" watercolour on rag board

Each morning recently a wren has serenaded us from a perch just outside the bedroom window (well...maybe it wasn't really intended for us). I have tried unsuccessfully to upload a video so you could hear just how loud this tiny bird can sing. But to no avail, there must be a glitch in blogger. So, not quite the same, but heres a photo of him instead: