Back to the Textile Art Work.

With an exhibition looming, it's time to get back to the artwork. This piece was started some time ago but has been set aside for a while for various reasons. With the first stage completed, that is the stamp of the flower head made, and the rest of the design worked out in Photoshop from my own pressed grasses and leaves, it was time to get out the sewing machine.  I printed the design onto fabric that had been treated to make it waterproof so that I could paint onto it without blurring, but the first step was to stitch around the major features, before starting to paint. Unfortunately I think that the leaves at the top left are too dark..................but I'll wait and see.

New Holland Honeyeaters.

These pretty little birds rule the garden, chivvying birds many times their size, always darting around, they seem to be such cheerful little things.

Owlet Night-jar.

It took us a while to identify this little fellow as he was quite some distance away and was just peeking out of the nest box. At first we thought it was a mammal, but nothing we knew looked quite like that and it wasn't until we could see his little feet gripping the edge of the box that we knew it was a bird, almost certainly an owl by the side to side sway that he did occasionally. A new bird to add to our list.

Prince Parrot?

Here is an adolescent male King Parrot just starting to get his adult plumage.  He looks a bit moth eaten around the head but before long he will be as gorgeous as his father.

Mechanical Monster?

Actually this isn't mechanical at all, just a wonderful scorpion sculpture created out of waste metal pieces. can you identify the horse shoe and other bits?

Mixed Bathing!

There are at least 2 different species of birds here enjoying a cooling bath. Centre front is the Eastern Spinebill, with Wrens and possibly a Thornbill in the background.

Queen Parrot?

This is the female King Parrot, just as beautiful in her own understated way. They really are stunning birds.

A Beautiful King Parrot in the Garden.

Whilst Parrots usually feed on seeds of indigenous plants, this male King Parrot and his harem of 4 females, were having a great feast of the seeds of a European tree, probably a Sycamore. They were very cleverly nipping off each winged seed and in one deft movement eating the seed and discarding the unwanted wings.