Ian Griffiths (Griff)
Wildlife Artist
   
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I have decided to post sketches and notes when I go out on and around the Lizard peninsular and further afield, some months there maybe more some less. I am going to start in January but I wanted to include this sketch of a Whooper Swan just before Christmas.

 

  

I only studied art to the first year of A level before I decided to leave school and I only recall one time we went out sketching and then for 30 mins and I hated it so my sketches like my painting are self taught. Art at school was very varied with a lot of different subjects like jewelry making, I wasn't taught the disciplines and all I wanted to paint were birds.

I heard there was a Black-winged Stilt at Windmill farm on the Lizard plus a Purple Heron. So I had to go, great views through the binoculars and not one but three. The Heron flew away so I did not get great views. I am trying to get the feel of the birds and did not use my scope as this would have made me put more detail in. If I get a chance I will do this next time.

I returned to Windmill farm and a Ruff had joined the Stilts also there were a pair of Gargany a superb male which I have never seen before, a great bird to paint, unfortunately someone got too close and they flew.

I decided to paint a quick acrylic in the field while the Stilts were around and fresh in my mind. Using images from yesterday and today I completed the sketch in about half an hour.

  

 

   

Black winged Stilts Windmill farm Cornwall

Sketching is not always about creating a life-like image of your subject or even recording detail. I use it to get a feel of the subject and in this case the reason I chose the birds was that it was a pure white Guinea fowl in a Cornish open garden with good strong sunlight at 4pm.

I wanted to look at the cast shadows and tones at different angles to the sun, detail was never an issue and I simplified the drawing using 2 felt pens which are great for sketching with. I probably will never paint a Guinea fowl but this study allows me to use the information for other paintings and sketches.

  

Study of light and shade - Trevano
I take my son to a school in Truro for a few mornings a week and use this time to be out in the field. I have recently taken to walking along side the river that links Truro to the Carrick roads to Falmouth. This is an tidal river and there is only a small channel for boats. You get a great view even at low tide and can watch many waders from Tescos car park. These Shelducks were sketched from the car, I like using a pen as you are not tempted to rub out as with a pencil so they have a freshness and movement. I am working on a couple of paintings based on the river mud, the first one is of a single black headed gull and a large work of Dunlin feeding hopefully with 52 birds in!!!!!  

 

Shelduck on the mud of Truro river, Cornwall
Whooper Swans were always had that feeling of cold winters when I have lived further North and I love to see them in the waterlogged fields. They are uncommon in Cornwall so this was a great treat to a Northerner. I like the Satellite dishes of Goonhilly earth station in the background which add a surreal quality to the scene. I painted it looking through the scope which brings the foreground and background alot closer. I saw a make Hen Harrier as I drove off.  

 

Whooper Swan at Croft Pascoe pool on Goonhilly Downs, Lizard, Cornwall

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