Kingfishers at night? Really??

 

I've been working on an idea for an abstract print but it isn't ready yet for the rest of the world so I've revisited an image I originally worked on earlier in the year - the kingfisher.  Somehow it seemed appropriate after drawing the feathers and I wondered how often someone finds an iridescent blue kingfisher feather.  How wonderful that would be and I would spend a very long time studying them if ever I was ever lucky enough to find one.

 

 

Lino print and watercolour

 

I know kingfishers aren't seen at night but mine has decided to see what all  the  fuss is about and have a chat to the moon....perhaps the fish will be sleepy and more easily caught?.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lino print and watercolour.

I shall do more work on this image as I want to give the water some definition and improve the

cloud formations

 

 

 

Lino cut and watercolour

 

 

This one is an extravaganza  of colour because, after all, that's what kingfishers are all about..... 

Halcyon days.........

The kingfisher has a wonderful place in Greek mythology, with the story of Alcyone [Halcyon],  who married Ceyx and was very happy until, of course, tragedy overtook them.

 It's a story of love and devotion with Alcyone commiting suicide by throwing herself into the sea  after hearing of the death of her husband who drowned on a sea voyage.

 Fortunately the gods took pity on them and turned them both into kingfishers but the actual term 'halcyon days' refers to the 7 days before and the 7 days after the winter solstice when Alcyone is reputed to have laid her eggs.  It helps to have a father [Aeolus]who is god of the winds and can calm the winds and sea so you have a bit of peace and quiet whilst incubating your eggs and that's exactly what he did.

I've always wondered where the term came from, and shall now use it more appropriately as a time of peace and tranquillity when all around is blowing up a storm!

 

First stage lino cut of Kingfisher

 

I decided to place my kingfisher among the bulrushes at Easton Walled Gardens, with the lovely stone bridge in the background

 

 

Lino cut and watercolour

 

It's interesting how different papers produce such a different effect even though you're using the same inks and block, so I tried a hand print with some Japanese  Hosho paper and rather liked the softer effect.  It is much more absorbent and soaks up the watercolour like a sponge.

 

 

lino cut  and watercolour on Hosho paper

 

I've enjoyed experimenting with this image and feel that there is a lot more potential in it which I'll be working on.  In the meantime there is a lot more to think about with regard to our Great Fen project, and Val and I have some interesting ideas ........  

 

Good intentions......

I had the best of intentions to finish this week's blog with a print of my kingfisher but I realised that it wasn't a good idea to rush the process as I am trying something different this time.

Using mixed media I hope to produce an image which will be interesting and different from reduction or multi block prints but as this is a new process for me I need to take my time on it.  In the meantime, I wanted to share some images I've used as research for the project, one watercolour and some pencil sketches of Kingfishers in flight - their body shapes are just amazing....

 

A wary little Kingfisher ....in watercolour

 

 

 

 

Pencil sketches of the birds in flight

 

The shapes of the wings are very beautiful and remind me of humming birds as  they hover in front or over their selected flower. I've never seen a kingfisher hovering over the water but if a suitable perch isn't present, they will hover over the water to observe their prey.

 

I was pleased to read that both parents share the incubation of eggs,  which can take up to  3 weeks and another 3 weeks plus for the baby Kingfishers to fledge so they have their work cut out for them.

 

 

Closer sketch of a hovering parent, eager to find some food for hungry babies....

 

I'll continue with the lino print and have the finished picture ready next time.....trust me!

The King of Fishers......

Continuing the watery theme, there is a bird which many people are thrilled to see probably because it is so difficult to catch sight of - the Kingfisher.

 I recently made a visit to Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire, as one of a group of people who meet there once a month to record the natural beauty of the place unfolding throughout the year. I highly recommend a visit if you love something different, where you can walk around large expanses of landscaped grass and enjoy both the sensitive reclamation of the gardens  with an excellent  lunch or tea in their tea shop afterwards.  The website explains all.....www.eastonwalledgardens.co.uk/‎

 

Walking along the river that cuts through the gardens, I spotted the bulrushes[Typha latifolia] which were showing signs of wear and tear from the battering the winter winds had given them. What beautiful shapes they are and what an interesting plant, it appears they can be used for just about anything, food, building material, biofuel, making paper and clothes....the list is endless! However, what they triggered in my imagination was the picture of a kingfisher perched amongst them patiently watching the river for their next meal.   

   

 

 

Thumb nail sketches for print ideas

 

There are lots of interesting buildings and architectural shapes at Easton, including this stone bridge which I've added in the background and after working on the sketches I've come up with a larger sketch which I think I will use for the reduction lino cut.

 

 

I'm going to have to think carefully about the colours on this, but did you know that their vivid colour is iridescence, not pigment – the pigment is actually dark brown! Interference between different wavelengths of light reflected from different layers of the feathers produces blues, greens and oranges, which accounts for why their feathers  can seem blue or green depending on the angle at which they are viewed.

 

Isn't nature wonderful! How can anyone improve on that? Perhaps I'll just have to be content with portraying the Kingfisher through my perspective, and the quirky serendipity of the print making  process of course......