10 November 2009

Illustration Friday - Blur




Kingfisher
watercolour and oil pastel



This week over at Illustration Friday, the word is 'Blur'. Here's my impression of a kingfisher emerging from the river with its catch! I hear these beautiful birds around here almost daily and catch fleeting glimpses of their jewel colours - almost always a blur! I would dearly love to see one close up for long enough to take a good photo.


Brown as nettle beer the stream
Shadow freckled speckled with sun
Slides between the trees
Not a ripple breaks in foam
Only the frilled hedge parsley falls
White upon the ground
No insect drills the air no sound
Rustles among the reeds
Bird and leaf and thought
Are still

When shot from the blue a Kingfisher
Flashes between the ferns-


Jewelled torpedo sparkling by
Under the bridge and gone
Yet bright as a bead
Behind the eye
The image blazes on


I like this little Kingfisher poem I found in a book of calligraphy by Janet Mehighan.

33 comments:

  1. Caroline this is stunning, the way you've captured the movement is amazing. They are such beautiful birds - I've only ever caught glimpses of one and it was because of the bright jewelled colour that I ever saw it at all. My favourite of yours I think.

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  2. Great illustration!Amazing and vibrant colours!

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  3. Wow, this is stunning, Caroline! I hear kingfishers often too but they are not the bright jewel coloured variety. Our Giant Kingfisher is brown and cream except for the turquoise quill feathers.

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  4. "Jeweled torpedo" is an apt description of kingfisher going for a meal. Wonderful word imagery. It is almost as good as your painting which is great.!

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  5. oh my, amazing Kingfisher! It's the best "blur" entry I've seen. I couldn't think of anything to do. Wow!!
    I'd never think of combining oil pastels with WC. Great results!

    I have your journal now and I'm stumped at what to do ;)

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  6. I really love the effect you achieved here, very lively and beautiful!

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  7. Stunning. The colours the way you have got the water.

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  8. My favorite bird in all the world. We have several at my dad's house and I always like to see them sitting on a wire with their majestic attitudes...

    Awesomeness!!!

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  9. beautiful, very well use of the technique

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  10. Just plain beautiful Caroline!!
    There is such movement in this painting!

    groetjes
    >M<

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  11. This is great - great use of colors!

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  12. oh! my! god!

    caroline!

    this is incredible. i can HEAR the wings flapping. and the colors!

    this is my very very favorite. i know it may not stay my favorite, because you are capable of reaching the highest heights, but ohmygod!, i just LOVE this.

    oh, i'm supposed to tell you ms. emily will soon be in touch. she dropped her jellybeans in excited anticipation when she saw your comment.

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  13. Wonderful motion and color, Caroline! It makes me smile! :-)

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  14. Ooo, so pretty. I think we had one at our other house which had a pond, but I never saw it up close.

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  15. Wow! Caroline! This is so beautiful! Great colors and composition! Hey thanks for stopping by!

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  16. very beautiful, birds are such a perfect inspiration for art! And you capturing it in flight has beautiful movement and colors.

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  17. i cannot stop looking at this painting.

    i am in love with it.

    xoxo

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  18. This really is stunning! The colours are so vibrant, and you've achieved a great balance between detail and 'blur'.

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  19. superb! i think this is your best yet!

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  20. wow, this is amazingly beautiful. i like your watercolor works!

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  21. I have the same feeling of your masterpiece too Caroline. I super love this. I agree with Nicky, my favourite of yours. I love green...He..he..

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  22. Beautiful illustration!! Absolutely wonderful movement and palette.

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  23. Your work is fantastic as always! I'm always so happy to visit you here!

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  24. love the movement. amazing illustration!

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  25. Stunning! So much energy and motion here, and the colors are beautifully vivid. Love the torpedo shape of his little body. Zoom! Carolyn, you are a watercolor master!

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  26. Gorgeous color and movement. Very refined.

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  27. This is absolutely lovely! I don't know how you do it.

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Thank you for passing by. I love to read your comments!

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