Bee-eater Series I, II, III
The theme of the exhibition is Kaleidoscope, a word meaning the ‘observation of beautiful things’ (and, in particular, colour), created by a Scot from words of Greek origin. Nowadays, kaleidoscopic is used to describe complex patterns of colour, or multi-coloured.
As a Scot who lived for many years in Greece, it seemed apt to choose a beautiful multi-coloured thing from Greece to observe.
The following triptych is an abstract colour study based on the bird, the Mediterranean bee-eater.
Artwork 1 Title: Bee-eater
The analogous palette of cool greens and blues contrast with the warm red and orange and all are gently muted by the backing of dark (almost black) purple. Defining contrast in value in black and small touches of white further unify the piece.
Materials and Techniques:
Wet-felted merino wool and rose fibre
Artwork 2: Bee-eater II
With the same base of dark purple, this study is almost the reverse of the first. However, the strong hues of the first piece have been mitigated by the addition of tints and shades to add depth and interest. Strong black dots emphasise the movement of the black lines.
Materials and Techniques
Wet-felted merino wool and rose fibre
Artwork 3: Bee-eater III
When laid out side by side, the bee-eater’s plumage reflects all 7 colours of the rainbow. Here, they are overlaid with black and white merino. Where the black and white has been nudged aside, the vibrant hues spill out to create intense pops of colour.
Materials and Techniques:
Wet-felted merino wool and rose fibre
Click on each image below to enlarge the artwork
