Birds in gouache
A series of paintings / mixed media art work using gouache. Most are painted on vintage postcards. I love those cards that have writing, stamps and a history. What's on there may influence the composition of the painting. Sometimes it's because of the shapes, stamps and script. Sometimes it is also the history, the route taken by the card or the people writing that affects the painting or its title.
dated 2022 until 2024
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Tressie
2022Hummingbird (detail / head and breast parts). I love my hummingbirds. I haven't seen them for real yet, but still I find them so cool, so intriguing. Their color, their strength. I chose this image to show off their feathers on breast and on top. So amazing. Looking for new ways to make backgrounds the other day, I started with splatter. Now I'm hooked.
Long tail
2022Painting of a long-tailed titmouse. Impression - using gouache on a vintage card. I paint on vintage cards. The script is a graphic element in the background - I love it. Sometimes I read the cards and then make the text disappear. Sometimes I leave more of it as is. Found the card in a local thrift shop. Interesting that the language on the card is not spoken locally - it was sent to Prague some time in 20th century. This got me thinking who was getting these cards - and how did they end up here in the Netherlands?
Tufted
2022Painting of a tufted titmouse. Painted on a vintage card. Part of the series of birds in gouache.
Canadian Wren
2022A little painting of a wren. I love wrens - I love their posture and their song. Here I used splatter - as I totally enjoy that - and it looks fun. Part of the series birds in gouache. Painted on vintage postcards. This card was never sent - so I don't know how old it is. I try to paint the birds I find locally - as much as birds that look fun but are only found far from my home. As I am painting birds found locally that are in muted tones, I'm a bit of a cheat here. The Dutch version of the wren is probably slightly different. I may go for that one another time.
Hoody
2022Little painting of a yellow- hooded warbler. Photo reference kindly provided by photographer @jhonny68 (twitter handle). The bird is realistic - the surroundings are my imagination - and a result of my love for painting with splatter. Enjoy!
Goldie
2022The American Goldfinch. Someone suggested to paint this bird - a slightly less vibrantly colored bird than what I painted before. I just tried this bird. I love the yellow easing to green - or the other way around. Painting pattern on backgrounds is fun!
Is this my best side?
2022Gouache on vintage card; some pen. One of the earlier in the series - the background is largely empty (of paint). The painting is more an impressionist /whimsical version of a humming bird. Size is that of an old postcard. The whole series is presented on the same kind of backing paper - a card of A5 size. If you'd like to know how this looks - ask me (the artist) please.
Dad, look! I can dive!
2022Gouache, pen and colored pencil on vintage postcard. The card is pasted on a black acid-free background. All postcards are different, most close to 9 by 14 cm.The black cardstock background has a standard size of A5 (14.8 by 21 cms) .
The Hague Calling!
2022I was painting birds in vibrant color -and mostly humming birds when I started this one - after a photo of an orange humming bird. It turned out a bit simple (shape) and I didn't like the background being so empty. First time I tried a pattern in colored pencil on the background. Mixed media: gouache paint on vintage card - pen and color pencil added. Around the time that two very diverse things were in the news: (1) Eurovision song contest and this years song contest was the first live one after the pandemic ; (2) Ukrain being invaded by Russian military and stories of citizens as victims; thinking of the Hague tribunal. (3) One of the places mentioned on the card was The Hague. All of this blended into the title.
Green parrot on red
2022Parrots are a wonderful subject. Amazing color, great attitude! In the series Birds in gouache -the subseries with spatter - this is one of my favorites.
Humming bird in gouache 1
2022Part of the series birds in gouache - paintings using gouache on vintage postcards. Humming birds. They're amazing. I started painting this one early on in 2022. I found they have these amazing colors - so I'm hooked. This one sold to a lovely collector. I've painted several others since. It seems everyone loves them as much as I do.
Dotty
2022Humming bird impression. Painted on a vintage card. I painted the dots first to make the text less legible but started to like the dots more and more. Hence the title.
UNO
2022Humming bird detail - breast and head of these amazing birds have the most splendid feathers - in shape, color and their shine. I couldn't help myself - I had to paint more versions of this bird -and of this pose.
Robin in winter robes
2022One of the first birds paintings of the series birds in gouache. Actually I learned gouache from Val Webb in a course on birds. After the course I went on taking my own turn/take on the subject more and more. My own choice of birds - colorful ones from all over the world (humming birds, parrots, song birds ). And birds I find locally / in my country / my part of Europe. I started with some song bird and then - this robin. Birds can have this stance with feathers all thick and fluffy when it's cold in winter. This is also the time birds can be seen most easily. Hence the title.