The Story Behind the Painting

When I lived in the lower Blue Mountains, I used to be woken up each morning with the screeching of rainbow lorikeets. I liked this so much that I planted another three grevillea’s and other bird attracting plants in my garden.

I have always loved birds and I remember buying my first bird book at a very young age. I was so excited, I spotted a bird in the garden and excitedly flicked through the pages of my British bird book. I found my first bird a sparrow then with my nose pressed against my bedroom glass window, I looked for others outside in the garden, a starling and then a seagull.

That first day I was so exciting and for the next week I found more sparrows, starlings and seagulls. I was so deflated I didn’t realise that throwing out a bit of bread crust wouldn’t attract owls and eagles no matter how much I wished for them. So I went walking on the beach and clifftops and found more seagulls and nothing else.

Years later we moved to Australia and I was delighted to find all sorts of parrots, finches, ducks and eagles. I’m now a keen bird photographer and use these as a source to paint from.

I’m sure there was plenty of birds in England but the patience of a 10 year old is far different form the 50 year old I am now, with a camera, binoculars and knowledge.

My Painting Process

---

---

---

---

---

Gouache on Canson Paper

For my Black Label collection I use Winsor & Newton Gouache on Black Colourfix Art Spectrum Paper or Black Mi-Teintes Touch Canson Paper.

Enjoy Chris Osborne