Gannets in miniature - completed

Gannets © Tracy Hall 2009

3.5" x 2" Watercolour on Board

Just a quick post to show the finished Gannet miniature painting (enlarged with a penny shown for scale) .

Also as a footnote, our internet has been down for the last 24 hours so apologies if you have emailed but not heard back. How very odd it is to be without - perhaps a lesson on modern living there! Not that I was indoors today anyway; out battling the horseflies to mow the grass and getting sunburnt instead. I can report that Jungle Formula doesn't work with horseflies (or 'clegs' as they are called here) and I'm all out of Skin so Soft which seems to work with everything - including midges - and smells nice too. Its not sold as an insect repellent but trust me, it works.

Gannets & Crossbills

Gannets miniature painting - work in progress

© Tracy Hall 2009

Watching Gannets diving is a spectacular sight; they fold back their wings and plummet at speeds of around 90mph, hitting the water like a bullet. It seems astounding that they manage to come back up again, but they have a skull like a crash helmet. I haven't had much luck getting decent pictures of them, diving or otherwise (apart from the occasional dead bird washed up on the beach) but really wanted to have the chance to paint them again so it was great to get the opportunity to use some of Brian Hewitt's photos for my latest miniature. Brian got some amazing shots of them diving too. The painting is 2" x 3.5" watercolour on board and shown above in progress. Lots still to do. One day I hope to get to Bass Rock where you can take a boat trip to visit the gannetry.

Orkney has played host to flocks of Crossbills recently and I enjoyed a magical moment amongst the trees at Kirbister surrounded by these beautiful birds. The males look almost parrot like with their distinctive large bills and bright plumage, and I'm reliably informed that they were searching for aphids in the leaves. They seem remarkably at ease with onlookers. I have been trying to add a little video (just to see if I could!) and after several failed attempts using IE, switched to Firefox and it finally worked :)

'Brush - Paper - Water' Feature

Chris Beck is an artist I admire enormously. Six months ago she started a blog called 'Brush - Paper - Water' to celebrate, in a typically generous fashion, the versatility and incredible range of watercolour through the work of other artists. I'm very honoured to be featured with my miniatures this week, if a little humbled by the stunning company! It's really worthwhile to browse through the other artists she has chosen to highlight to date, and really does serve to illustrate what an amazing medium watercolour is. Thank you Chris!

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

Blackbird miniature painting

'Blackbirds in the Clematis' © Tracy Hall 2009

2" x 3.5" Watercolour on board (enlarged)

I think I may have this one finished, but will wander past it for a week or so to see if anything jumps out. Since I started it the clematis is now fully in bloom and even if the blackbird had been sitting on her nest in that spot there would be no chance of seeing her now!

Here is a new design for a card company as well - sheepdog trails this time. This one is 10" x 14", watercolour on Arches.

Magnifying Glasses - I've had an email recently about the what I use for the miniatures, and I thought other people might wonder as well. Firstly, it's worth mentioning that not all miniature artists use one. My eyesight isn't that good though and I like to use it especially for the fine details.

There are all sorts available but I always come back to a simple hand held one (which you can see left). I'm not sure of the magnification (if it ever said it has long since worn off) but its not that strong - this is a basic and cheap magnifying glass bought locally, its nothing fancy. I have some other, supposedly better, ones but this is my favourite.

Ask another artist and you'll get a different answer of course, its very much a case of what suits you, but I hope that helps. I also use a pair of reading glasses.