Its a Family Thing

 Its not often that I use someone else's material for a painting but on this occasion I was completely blown away by the photographs taken by Sue and Roger Bird of a nest box with two nests,  (the smaller a wrens and the larger a blackbirds ) at YWT Potteric Carr nature reserve in Doncaster.                                                                     

 

"Its a Family Thing"

Acrylic on stretched canvas 20" x 16 "   

One of the original photographs I used for this painting. 

Our Wildlife Garden in February Snow

'Our Garden Wildlife'

20x16 inches, acrylic on stretched canvas

My studio easel stands by a large window overlooking the garden and I get a lot of pleasure just watching the wildlife. The birdsong starts before sunrise and grey squirrels chase each other up and down the trees and around the garden. There are presently 3 robins, nuthatch, a number of blackbirds, goldfinches, long tailed tits, and 3 parakeets (occasionally 4 )

I painted "Our Wildlife Garden" last week when the snow was still lying on the garden.

New Wildlife Paintings For Sale

 

There are still many limits on our freedom of movement due to Corvid pandemic - however - I have my imagination and paints for solace. 

These six small works are my most recent wildlife paintings, they include a slice of humor and imagination in their conception, they are presently in stock at YWT Potteric Carr Nature Reserve and online at, -  

                  https://ywtshop.org.uk/product-category/homeware/art/

All the paintings are the same size, painting in frame - 23cmx28cm

Ready to hang £50 each

      "Tasty But A Little On The Large Side" 

                   

          "Go On, Just Give It A Try"

"Which One For Dinner"

"Splashing Out On Lunch"

"Looks Tasty, You Go First"

"Mummy I'm So Hungry"

                                                                 
All presently available at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Potteric Carr Nature Reserve,

Doncaster, UK

Also online......    https://ywtshop.org.uk/product-category/homeware/art/

All the paintings are the same size, painting in frame - 23cmx28cm

Ready to hang £50 each

Wishing all my friends who my be reading this and Volunteers and Staff  at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and on Facebook and Twitter a Happy and Healthy New Year.

YWT Volunteer Week and Social Isolation

We were unable to have our usual annual volunteer week meetings and celebrations this year due to the Corvid 19 pandemic which swept our freedom of movement away.  So we celebrated 'YWT Volunteer Week' online, and I joined up with the group on the 'YWT Volunteer Group' facebook page. I have already posted some of my small mixed media paintings and this post I explain what volunteering means to me. 

"Talking to visitors, especially children, about painting the reserve and the wildlife, colour, seasons, light and shade, and so much more. Fundraising, for eels, bittern, sand martins, flower meadow. So very, very satisfying."

And, a small painting which I entered for the Volunteers online creative competition.

"Entertaining the Wildlife on Loversall Delph" 

for which I received the runners up prize of a beautiful bird nest box, a lovely addition to my wildlife garden, 

Recent Impressions of my Garden Wildlife

My four most recent impressions of the wildlife in my garden.

"Thas got ta much stuff in tha beak lass"

 

"Blackbird Bathing"

"Kestrel in the Conifer"

"Buff Tailed Bumble Bee on Dandelions"

Garden Wildlife during Corvid 19 Social Isolation.

Social Isolation takes a bit of getting used to, so, I am spending quite a lot of time in my garden, watching for the wildlife, sketching and painting it, and sharing it on social media. Here are my four, most recent impressions.

'Collecting Nesting Materials'

  

'Queueing For the Feeders'

'Thirsty Squirrel'

'Weasel on the Old Bee Hive' 

Two Paintings I posted on Facebook on 11 April 2020

Two paintings illustrating some of the history around local villages which was being discussed on the "Don Gorge Community Group" facebook page on 11th April 2020.

"Boat Inn and Slipway"

"Boat Inn and Slipway"... watercolour and mix media which I painted in 2007 using photographs and information given me by Hugh Parkin.

The scene dates between 1884 and 1907, the years when the new railway was built through the Don Gorge, (Doncaster-Sheffield), Sprotbrough Bridge was built connecting Sprotbrough and Warmsworth, and the ferry across the River Don (above the falls) ceased running. The canal (sprotbrough cut) was straightened in 1907. 

"Dovecote at Barnburgh"
In 1988 I did a series of paintings of Barnburgh, one of which was this small watercolour/gouache of the Dovecote in the Hall gardens, owned at that time by the Coal Board, and, although in a state of disrepair I thought was very beautiful.

Blog during Social Isolation Covid 19 outbreak

I so miss being inspired by the beauty of the wildlife and landscape of our nature reserves. I am fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful countryside at home and also have an interesting wildlife garden, so, I am sketching daily and painting what I see around me in this period of self isolation and will be posting my work regularly on this blog.

Feeding the birds.

Blackbird singing.

Update... A photograph of my mix media collection of paintings 

"Birds of Potteric Carr" 

which was on display in the cafe in the visitor centre at YWT Potteric Carr nature reserve for the month of November 2019, five paintings were sold. 

Birds of Potteric Carr

 For my November display in the Visitor centre at YWT Potteric Carr nature reserve I plan to show small paintings of some of the interesting birds I have seen on the reserve, most of which I have found absolutely fascinating.  The title of the display is.......

Birds of Potteric Carr

.....and I will post photos of the work as I complete them. Here are the first three..... 

'Goldfinches on Teasels'

Goldfinches can be seen in various places on the reserve, I saw these close by the Visitor Centre where there are lots of teasels and many other wild flowers. 

'Oystercatchers from West Scrape Hide'

West Scrape Hide is at the far end of the reserve on Huxter Well Marsh where many different birds can be seen.

'Tufted Ducks' ... 

I observed this small family 'having fun ducking and diving' from St Catherines Hide at the far end of Hawthorn Bank.

That's all for now. My plan is to paint a total of twenty four mix media works ....so fingers crossed....

August 2019 update

The new visitor centre with cafe and shop has been open almost three years and is now well established at Potteric Carr. The shop stocks many useful and decorative items including binoculars, bird-food and books. The building is at the side of Decoy Lake and on a fine day visitors sitting outside on the cafe deck can enjoy a wonderful view of the woodland, wildlife and flowers, in fact the view is interesting whatever the season.
My painting is a summer view from the cafe in the visitor centre. 

'Kingfishers by Decoy Lake'

Four of my paintings on display in the visitor centre until 2nd September.
I have a regular display of my work in the cafe, anyone wishing to purchase a painting can pay either by cash or card at the till in the shop.
Sheila M Bury, volunteer Artist in Residence at YWT Potteric Carr nature reserve, Doncaster.