Introducing The Silky Seabirds
Recently, I have been working away on a new creative project, in particular a new range of pen and ink wildlife drawings. If you follow me on Facebook, you may know what I am talking about.
Without further ado, I am excited to share with you the results:
Say hello to the Silky Seabirds Range!
the silky seabirds range
From top left, let me introduce you to “Puffin Power”…
…top right “The Savvy Sandwich Tern”…
…and bottom left is…”The Cunning Cormorant”…
…and finally, bottom right is “Jet Fighter Gannet”!
Like my Winged Wildlife range, I used pen and ink to draw these images. What’s more, I have based three of these drawings on photos that my Dad took, and one of them – “Puffin Power” – on one of my auntie’s photos.
My Dad loves to hop on his bike and go for a ride through the dunes near where I grew up in The Netherlands. He will take his DSLR camera with a big lens and sit on a bench waiting for birds (or aeroplanes!) to take pictures of.
You can also find him on one of the islands in the north of The Netherlands, e.g. Texel or Ameland, where he can spot some wonderful birds.
Dad has visited Bempton Cliffs (a nature reserve run by the RSPB) in the UK as well, which isn’t too far from where my auntie lives. She took the photo of the puffin there. Hundreds of thousands of seabirds flock there every year.
Puffin at bempton cliffs taken by my auntie rosemary
I love how my Dad and I have bonded in this way – he sends me loads of his bird/wildlife photos – and I think it has deepened our relationship. And what’s more, I think he’s a talented photographer and I want to celebrate that by mentioning him in this blog post! Thanks Dad!
I feel my Dad manages to capture the characters of the birds rather nicely – and I aim to draw and express those characters. I also love the details and as always I am fascinated and in awe of the beauty that is found in those details.
Nature is such a wonderful teacher. It teaches me to be in the moment, the here and now, and to accept and embrace change as a natural part of life. Animals are very much in the moment, too, and it’s a joy to watch them enjoying the here and now.
When I draw these birds I am absorbed by the task and I get into a state of flow where time ceases to exist. I feel so alive, I feel I am in my element.
I am living my dream.
I am living my bliss.
Greeting cards and prints are made of all of these drawings – please see my online shop.