Isolation Diary Day 10. My fascination and failure in drawing 'perfect' birds, and how I found success!

Today I’m talking about birds! I’ve always loved drawing birds, I am inspired by birds colours, shape, wings, movements the whole shebang! 

It’s not surprising that many of my designs included a bird of some description. I wouldn’t describe my drawing style as particularly intricate or accurate, it’s the pattern making that I feel most comfortable drawing. 

In particular the more the abstract the shapes the better. 

Looking through books and on the Internet for bird inspiration I always come across the most beautiful ornate illustrations in particular John Audubon’s Birds of America series, it really excites me, but I know I’d never be able to create something that is that real’ and beautiful. (That’s not to say that I don’t want to include birds in my work ). I’ve always been interested in stencils and cutouts (especially from seeing the later work of Matisse) And for the new interiors range I focused predominantly on creating silhouette of shapes,  it was discovering using tracing paper to design print with that I started adding pattern over the top of the cut-outs. As you can see there are two birds with two different pattern designs in lots of different colours, thinking about the plumage and decorative effect of the wings and tail.  I am amazed how unique the bird shape has become. What you do think? Do you like drawing birds, what is with the obsession with birds in interior fabrics? 

The Drawing Stages from paper cut out silhouettes to painting areas in tracing paper before detail is applied. 

Life's a Picnic In Cotton and Linen

Park Life In Cotton and Linen