Little blue wrens

I've had another go at painting my favourite little blue wren and here it is. It's titled 'That's not your nest!' The nest belongs to another little bird family from my friend Jenny's garden.

I've used acrylic and felt pen over a collaged background using wine labels from a French bottle we had the pleasure of recently, a Cape Mentelle and a Little Creatures neck label. Don't worry, I didn't drink it all at once!

That's not your nest!

I have discovered clear gesso. When the collage was complete I added a layer of clear gesso and just treated it like a blank canvas. It stands up to being washed down if you aren't happy with your painting, it can be distressed and really worked over without losing the background stage. I love it.

Vasse Art Award 2012

The Vasse Art Award is on until Saturday 21st April and is open 10 - 4 pm daily at the Vasse Primary School. This is my 2nd prize winning entry and I'm still on cloud nine from such a wonderful surprise.

I've used redgum sap over acrylic paint in the background on a stretched canvas. I usually like to use a piece of found wood but was playing around with alternatives to meet the requirements for the Arts Margaret River reader's and writer's festival exhibition that is coming up in May. I think the sap works okay.