I’ve been collecting feathers lately. I find it hard to walk past a feather without picking it up – they are all unique and beautiful. Some are easy to connect to the names of the birds: white & yellow of a Cockatoo, black & white of an Australian Magpie, grey & pink of a Gallah. Others remain nameless.

If I like something I end up sketching it (or at least day-dreaming about how I would try to capture it on paper) and lately I’ve been sketching feathers.

Winsor & Newton watercolours on Daler-Rowney watercolour postcard (100 x 148 mm)

Winsor & Newton watercolours on Daler-Rowney watercolour postcard (100 x 148 mm)

Winsor & Newton watercolours on Arches Medium Watercolour paper (185gsm, 148 x 210 mm)

Winsor & Newton watercolours on Arches Medium Watercolour paper (185gsm, 148 x 210 mm)

I seem to gift away these little paintings faster than I can paint them and so I made another one in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook to make sure I’ll have some record left to remind myself of these time of painting feathers.

Winsor & Newton watercolours in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook (Landscape 130 x 210 mm)