a bird in the hand

a bird in the hand

12 x 12 inches

acrylics on box canvas

Just finished this; it was close to being binned at one point, but I think I`ve managed to salvage it!  This was supposed to be a mixed media piece with thread, etc.  but in the end, I knew it was taking a different path....  Having started out by doing several watery layers and letting the paint drip in places, I`d managed to create quite organic tree shapes and had a different figure in a different place loosely blocked in, but it just wasn`t doing it for me.  Anyway, after several frustrating attempts at getting to where I wanted to be, I did some thumbnail compositional sketches and arrived at this: quite different from the initial idea but with the layers of colour showing through in the finished painting, and the forest motif still prevalent.

The copper paint doesn`t seem to show up well in the photograph...... I love the effect metallic colours can add to a piece, but it`s easy to get too carried away and overdo it.  I hope I`ve managed to get the balance right here, at least I feel I have, and gut feeling means a lot.....

The title came about after I`d finished..... this has given me the seed of an idea: a "series" of paintings based on proverbs, (except I have more than 2 birds in the "bushes"!)