birds, brushes and other stuff

progress detail on a piece

2011-01-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

Hi I thought I would give a little detail to the laying on of paint to a picture. this is a piece destined for the middle east . It features a Gyr x saker falcon in pursuit of a Houbara bustard. I wont prattle on as the images are self explanatory to the process.

The Storm Skua

2011-01-04T03:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a little break down of a just finished Painting . I started the idea for this piece some time ago whilst gathering references of breakers coming in of the back of a storm . we had a low pressure system hit the coast back in Feb 2008! yes that long ago!! I was wondering what to do with these refs for a long time and then on a visit to Bee sands on the South Hams coastline it all started to come together. Whilst having a lovely day with the family on this lovely pebbly beach I was watching Sandwich terns too'ing and fro'ing up and down the beach fishing. After a while there activities stopped abruptly and the reason soon appeared further out in the sea. An Arctic Skua passed by powerfully rowing across the sky on sinuous wings heading out towards start Point Lighthouse. It was a fantastic sighting for me and started my thoughts again about the storm refs I had gathered and I new instantly what bird I should use in it. Here is the progression in Drawings and colour sketches to show how it developed It just shows that some paintings may take years to reach fruition from initial inspiration to completion. and that I probably will re visit the refs I took of the storm on that February day back in 2008 . Enjoy

A NEW BOOK!!

2010-12-30T03:37:00.000-08:00

Well I am honoured to announce the release of a fab new Book on Drawing and Painting Birds. Its excellently written by my good friend and genius Artist Tim Wooton. I was very honoured also to be asked by Tim to contribute to the volume. Anyone who has an interest in Drawing and painting wildlife and particularly birds this surely is a must have. It features input from many of the leading lights in the genre of Bird illustration and Painting and I was very pleased to have been involved. You can purchase the book from Tim and on his Blog

40 years of conservation

2010-12-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

Needless waste

2010-11-20T06:07:00.000-08:00

Came across this and was appalled, what possible threat to any game or fishing lake is an osprey on Migration!!!

The Moorland Bird.

2010-11-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

Another of my 15 min paintings although this one actually was more like 25 !! anyway here it is one of in my opinion is the quintessential Moorland birds of my childhood

UNESCO BID ACCEPTED : FALCORY FUTURE NOW ASSURED

2010-11-18T01:15:00.000-08:00

UNESCO Have officially recognisied FALCONRY as a world heritage pastime and ensured its world wide practice for generations to come. this is such great news for a pastime with such a rich and varied history.

woodall Spa

2010-11-11T12:41:00.001-08:00

Northumberland Grouse

2010-10-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

At the end of September I was graciously invited again to a few days grouse shooting in Northumberland by my friend and client Jeremy Herman and his lovely wife Edwina. Jeremy owns two moors ,Allenheads and Muggleswick moors. this pristine estate was bought by Jeremy a few years back now but has greatly benefited by his presence. Grouse records last year were at an all time high and It is a real privilege to be invited along with a small group of Sporting Artists to Allenheads Hall every year for this spectacle. I have been to a few moors now but have never seen the numbers that these two moors hold! They also boast a very healthy population of Black game which is under severe pressure in the U.K but here they are doing very well because of the huge efforts being made by the Keeper of the estate. They also have a significantly high breeding population of waders on the moor again a testament to the efforts being done there. Here are just a few of the images I took at the two days.

Some photos from my recent show with the Halcyon gallery in London

2010-09-20T04:44:00.001-07:00

Thought it was about time I shared a few photos from my recent show with the Halcyon Gallery in London. All images are courtesy of Huw Evans Photography.

Sporting and wildlife show 2010_0001.wmv

2010-08-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sporting and Wildlife Show

2010-08-02T05:05:00.000-07:00

Thought I would draw peoples attention to a new show featuring my work and Simon Gudgeons scuptures to be held at the Halcyon Gallery, Mayfair London

Privilege club draw- here's the winners

2010-07-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

Just done the latest privilege club prize draw- names picked by our children.Here's the winners- Katy Oliver (uk),Stuart Ritchie (UK), John & Melissa Karger (USA), Howard Pirtle (USA),Gary Freeman (UK), Crispin Worledge (UK), Jon Franklin (UK), Glynne Dunn (UK), Mike Campsie (UK), Dr. Berendsen ( Netherlands) CONGRATULATIONS! you each win ...a 2011 calendar. I will be emailing you - asking you to confirm your postal address,before sending out your prize.

Thanks - Donna

Win an Andrew Ellis 2011 calendar

2010-07-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

On July 31st 2010 we will be holding our next free privilege club prize draw. Ten lucky winners will each receive a copy of the new Andrew Ellis calendar for 2011, which features 12 beautiful bird of prey images. You can join the privilege club for free on our website.

Incase you don't know about the privilege club here's a little more information:

What is the Andrew Ellis Privilege club?
This is our way of saying thank-you to loyal customers and fans of Andrew Ellis' work by giving them exclusive special offers. We select a small number of people each month to receive a fantastic offer through the post. These are offers that will not be available on the website or at shows. It is free to join and membership is open to anyone worldwide. When you join, you will receive 2 of these special mailings per year. These are excusive mail order offers and cannot be redeemed via the website.You will also be entered into regular free prize draws, and kept up to date with new print releases etc.

The last draw we had took place about 2 months ago with 10 people each winning a pack of the new 8 greetings cards launched this year. We had a lot of positive feedback from the winners and hope that this draw will prove as successful.

So join the Andrew Ellis privilege club now , for your chance to win an Andrew Ellis 2011 calendar.

Evening watching Foxes

2010-07-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

The summer nights being so light at the moment are a real blessing when viewing wildlife all those hours of daylight to observe and record wildlife. Also with a host of young animals emerging into the world that moves things up a gear too. My good friend Robin Khan gave me a call the other night and said in a cryptic way " come over to the Farm about 8ish and bring your camera and sketchbook" well my mind was spinning wondering what wildlife wonder he had in store for me ? Nightjars Maybe? or Bats as i know he has a few different species there. Well I duly took his instruction and rolled up at his door at 8pm. The light was still pretty good and what we were going to be looking at would be seen quite easily i thought. Well he took me into the house and offered me a cupa and he said we will have to wait here. Outside one of his windows is a bird feeder which was being visited by Greater spotted woodpeckers ,Nuthatches and a stream of other finches and passerines. He gave the game away though when he ducked out to put some food out on the track that runs past the window. AHHH.... Foxes. Indeed a family group have been regular visitors to Robin's hand outs for some years now he informed me. We sat and watched as two Cubs appeared then the Dog fox which Robin was surprised at since he is the most weary of them all . In total there are six cubs but only two showed and as a bonus the vixen came in as the light finally started to dim past where I could sketch effectively. A wonderful evening of fox watching.

Kingfisher Fledglings

2010-06-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Another two special guests of Dave’s at present are two beautiful Kingfisher fledglings. Dave had been watching a pair on the river and witnessed a rival male move into the area kill the Father of the brood and then starts pulling the young one by one from the burrow in the bank. Soon the female had mated with the new male and begun nesting further down. Up until this point she had been feeding the remaining young but then stopped. Dave found two outside the hole in a weakened state and decided to intervene and try and rehabilitate them. They are now doing well after a touch and go start. And are now starting to make diving attacks at fish placed in a deep bowl on the floor of the seclusion aviary they have been placed in. Its easy to be Angry at the Intruding male in this instance but Nature has her own very strict set of rules and some never make it. Dave is very aware that the two Kingfishers only have a slim chance of survival but if only one of that brood were to make it that would be a success. Kingfishers were hit hard this winter with the prolonged periods of freezing temperatures and snow. This may have been a contributing factor towards the demise of the original male. It would be nice to think that if either of the Kingfishers go on to survive and breed that is in some way helping the comeback of the population nationally.

Hazel the Fallow deer. Hazel the Fallow deer.

2010-06-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Joe with Hazel when she was first brought in

To give my wife some much needed piece , I and the kids headed over to my mates on Sunday to see Hazel. Hazel is a special friend of my children they love to see her and run around with her. Hazel is a Fallow Deer which my friend and fellow Artist -Falconer Dave Scott hand reared when she was found wondering by a main road with injuries to her legs. Dave seemed to think she got stuck in a cattle grid then got separated from her mother as the herd moved on. She now lives with Dave in a nice paddock and loves the attention from visitor like us.

Below Maisie and Joe with Hazel two years on

15 Minute wonder

2010-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well i thought I'd show you a little of what I've been up to on the Bird Forum . The forum is a great place for anyone nuts about birds as i am! and the wildlife art sub forum mentored by the illustrious Tim Wooton Its a place where like minded individuals post our artwork for comment and encouragement. the forum is also great for Artists as we generally lead a solitary working life. Anyway i digress! Colleen one of our group came up with a fantastic exercise to loosen the way we paint. It makes you become more instinctive about your brushwork., well that's what i found anyway! However i will let her explain so here it is the method we use, straight from Colleen.
It should be more than a sketch, because we all have our threads for sketches, notice it says Paintings in the title.....so that infers color or at least light and shade and mass, like charcoal.....

so I suggest it be all as direct as you can make it, no pre sketching for forms or outlines, except for the briefest marks for placement. The idea is to let your tool, be it brush, marker, or pastel, make the forms...... you are trying to get the essence of the thing without worrying over details. We all do this in our drawings, now take it to the next level in your favorite media. So you can see the brushstrokes and energy of the making....that is, in a way, the subject. The time pressure is the main force to drive you beyond being able to think it over, into the Yoda land of the Force, Don't think just Do.

well I had a go and found it very hard to stop at the fifteen minute mark but it was hugely freeing of over working areas. I am glad I work in acrylics as they dry very quick and this allowed a great deal of coverage and I wasn't unduly hampered by waiting for things to dry.Its been very rewarding. Because they are experimental and not finished pieces The pressure is really off other than the time constraint Its renewed my enthusiasm for field work again and is something that I will continue with.

Are you a winner of the Andrew Ellis limited privilege club draw?

2010-05-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

This evening we drew 10 names from our list of privilege club members using a random number generator and here are the lucky winners......

Colin Asquith- UK
Bret Beede- USA
Paul Crawford -Uk
Debbie Forrest -UK
Adrian George -Uk
Peter Moralee - UK
Bruce Padbury - South Africa
Paul Perfect - UK
Lee Rush - Uk
Ian Stewart -UK

Congratulations to you all!
I've sent an email to each of you and when I receive your reply I'll get the prize out to you.

Donna

Extinction happening again,and again

2010-05-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

I came across this on the Bird Forum , Another example of Human interests and introducing Foreign species to another environment where they do not belong forcing the extinction of another endemic species.The Aloatra Grebe of Madagascar Lost its battle for existence in our inter fearing world

Published: 12:49PM BST 26 May 2010
Grebe from Madagascar extinct after introduction of carnivorous fish
The Alaotra grebe has been driven to extinction by the introduction of non-native carnivorous fish to lakes in the area of east Madagascar where it was found Photo: AP

The Alaotra grebe, also called the rusty grebe, had been highly vulnerable as it was found only in Lake Alaotra, eastern Madagascar, according to the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which compiles the Red List of endangered species.

The grebe was wiped out by habitat destruction, by the introduction of a carnivorous fish called the snakehead murrel and by nylon gill-nets which accidentally caught and drowned many birds.

New book about Dadia reserve in Greece

2010-05-26T01:29:00.000-07:00

Just came across this from my friend and Fellow artist Psachalis Douglas.The book features Psachalis's Drawings which are superb by the way! Its all about the Dadia Reserve in Greece which is a major reserve for Raptors in the Mediterranean.

Hobbies Falco Subbuteo.

2010-05-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had the privilege of meeting up with a friend Robin Khan. Robin is a very accomplished bird watcher and has a passion for Raptors luckily for me and it was a great experience to be alongside his expert eye. Originally we had planned to go to a good spot that Robin knows of on the Somerset levels to watch the influx of Hobbies, Falco Subbuteo. These elegant small falcons come to our shores and breed here for the summer. For the last half of the year they have been wintering in Africa but now they are back and it’s always with huge expectation that I and many others like Robin are out on warm summer days hoping to see their dashing flights at emerging Dragon Flies. Unfortunately because of the low pressure weather system we had over us in the early part of May their influx into the country has been a bit sporadic and we missed the opportunity to see them in Somerset. So we headed to another little hot spot here in Devon. The RSPB own an Area of Marshes near the Exe Estuary and its one of the first stop off points for some of our Hobbies and many other summer migrants. I met up with Robin at his home and we then made the short journey to the marshes, it was already warming considerably by now and when we arrived we wasted no time in searching. We quickly spotted a falcon half way up one of the pylons that cross the marsh. We then headed down the edge of the Canal towards Turf Locks Hotel. Looking out westward across the marsh we picked out several Hobbies quite high up already hawking insects on the rising air. The wind was pushing us away from us unfortunately and we decided to walk on down towards the locks and return a bit later in the day to see if they would be at a lower level when the air cooled. There was plenty to keep me occupied. Sedge warblers sang from every reedy patch of scrub that lined the foot path. Now my warbler identification skills are a little on the rusty side and so I asked Robin for his advice which of the warblers I was hearing. In due course I was now able to tell the difference between the scratchy sounding Sedge Warbler and the explosive loud metallic notes of the skulking Cetti’s Warbler and the much more subtle Reed Warbler. Not too long after we were to hear the call of the warblers nemesis the Cuckoo! Although we never saw him. Shelduck pairs passed by us heading into the Marsh pools where they fed alongside Canada geese and a host of Gulls de salting themselves in the fresh water. Herons drifted in and the peace was disturbed by piping calls of pairs of Oyster catchers heading down the canal towards the rich mud flats at the Turf Locks. As the heat started to eat into us we decided to take a break at the turf locks hotel and have a drink and take a look out across the estuary. Whilst there we saw, a rather Late Whimbrel feeding on his own and small groups of Dunlin in breeding plumage were feeding alongside Ringed Plovers. An Egret fished the shallows out in front near the old boat wreck that has been there for years slowly dissolving into the silt of the estuary. As the time past we headed back down the path way hoping to see yet more Hobbies. The sedge and Cetti’s continued to chorus from the margins of reeds and Bramble. On the y way we chatted of the Peregrines recovery. And how Robin in 1971 the year I was born could only find one tiercel on the whole of the Devon coast! What a turn around its been. We soon were back at the small car park and decided to move over to the west side of the reserve as the wind was blowing the insects that way and Robin felt that we would have more luck seeing the hobbies over there. Sure enough we got some good views of them coming our way and of a Peregrine sat in the Pylon that we originally saw a Falcon. Chances are it was him all Along! Robin had seen this falcon take a young Canada goose, gosling a few days earlier and take it to the same pylon to eat it! The Hobbies unfortunately never really gave us the views that we wanted and we decided after a while to head home. Robin Felt that on days like this if they can stock up early of food they will carry on their migration. Hopefully we will see more through the summer and then when they gather to leave our shores for the epic journey south to Africa.

Releasing Partridge, Not easy!

2010-05-20T01:12:00.000-07:00

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18th May 2010
The next day found me out again this time at Aveton Gifford on the other piece of ground where I have released game. However I have found it more and more difficult to manage time wise and its with a heavy heart that I have to cut down on the amount I do out there. I have always struggled with the fact I cannot do all that is needed to help the Grey partridge I released there. I will continue hopefully, with the land owners help to maintain the feeding in as best way as possible with my time. I headed to the large barns first to get grain for the remaining feeders. Once I filled all the sacks I headed to the valley field as I call it. I had seen a few weeks back a pair of Grey’s around the old release pen. I hoped they were still there and maybe have Young or be on Eggs. I took with me a caller that I have got to see if this would aid me in locating them. I scanned the fields and hedge bottoms but drew a blank. I continued on with removing the old pen and filling the feeders left in place. I tried the caller and sure enough got a reply. They soon appeared in the next grassy field but took off as soon as they saw me. I finished what I was doing letting the caller sound every half hour. I drove off down towards the bottom gate but hugged the edge of the old cover strip. I found them again towards the bottom and managed to get these shots. I hope in the next little while they do manage to rear some young and the extra feed I’ve left may help in some way. We will see? I then headed off to Southdown to remove some of the other pens I have out or half dismantled. I stowed the pen sections in a corner of one of Collins Barns hanging them off the side so as to prevent damp rotting them from the ground up. House sparrows squabbled and chattered busying themselves gathering nesting material or insects for fledglings. A white throat made climbing display flights from the nearby hedge line. Vanessa, Collin’s wife came over and tipped me off to the Sedge warbler that was singing from near a footpath behind the barns. I could hear him but never actually got a sighting of the little devil. Swallows and martins coursed overhead hawking insects. I headed out towards Decca field to remove the sections left out there. I stopped to photograph a splendid cock pheasant with a hen bird in tow. Linnets were in amongst the Wheat growing feeding on the odd stalk of Oil seed Rape that had bolted through. On the Old Wild bird mix section that joins Decca I found a Pair of Skylarks foraging but the male was franticly running after the female, Posturing and singing his heart out I was unaware that this was part of their behaviour. I always assumed that the courtship singing was solely from an aerial position. You learn something every day in the field! I next headed over the other side of the Farm to look for Partridge. Colin had told me where they may be. I used the caller again to see if there was any response but alas I did not hear any. Hopefully they will be not too far away fingers crossed.

More than a splash of yellow , 17th May 2010

2010-05-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

A Day out in the field yesterday was a very welcome break from the studio. I had to do some tidying chores out at Southdown farm. It was a glorious day with high temperatures with a nice SW wind that took the edge off of the heat.There was a profusion of yellow everywhere with the oil seed rape in full flower in many fields. It’s been a while since I had time to check out things on the farm so I got a quick heads up from Colin. He admitted himself that he has not had the time he would have liked to check what’s been coming in. Luckily for us there are a number of other birders that regularly check the farm for rarities and more regular visitors to the farm. Collins main comment was how few Migrants that we usually see are missing. The Dartford Warblers that are usually around in healthy numbers are way down. The others on the low side are willow warblers , House Martins , White throats. It’s not all doom and gloom though as a Hoopoe was seen recently , lots of Kites including a Black Kite. Swallows are here and so are the Swifts that are screaming through the local village. I asked him if he had seen much evidence of Partridge numbers and he said he had heard them at various points on the farm and had seen a nesting pair on the corner of Mushroom Field. On my way round the farm I came across a few white throats a good number of Yellowhammers and some Cirl Buntings . Skylarks were in full song all over the farm. Stock doves , Rooks and also a host of Finches were making good use of the recently ploughed Soar Mill field. The Local Peregrines have managed to fledge at least one young, a tiercel I think, this is very early . They have moved the nest a little up the coast towards Bolberry . I hope to see them soon on the wing around the farm. Curiously the only raptor seen was a solitary Buzzard riding the updrafts coming off of the coast. I was hoping for a peregrine or even a Hobby. The Kestrels were even missing. One very, very opulent bird in full glory at this time of year was the humble Cock Pheasant. Lots of them around the farm and they really are doing well here ,showing all their summer splendour.

FREE PRIZE DRAWS for members of the Andrew Ellis Privilege club

2010-05-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

The Andrew Ellis privilege club has now been up and running for 6 months, with new members joining every week- thank-you to all of you that have already signed up, and enjoyed the opportunity to buy giclee prints of Andrew's work at special discounted prices.We are now going to offer those of you in the privilege club an added benefit of being entered into regular FREE PRIZE DRAWS.
The first draw will take place at the end of this month- 31st May- so make sure you join before then.
On 31st May 10 people will be drawn to receive a set of the 8 new greetings cards that went on sale at the falconry fair last weekend.Incase you didn't see them I have added them through this post.What is the Andrew Ellis Privilege club?

This is our way of saying thank-you to loyal customers and fans of Andrew's work,by giving them exclusive special offers. We will select a small number of people each month to receive a fantastic offer through the post. These are offers that will not be available on the website or at shows. It is free to join and membership is open to anyone worldwide. When you join, you will receive 2 mailings per year, these will include details of the offer and a printed order form for you to use. All you have to do is fill out the form and return it to us with your payment. These are exclusive mail order offers and cannot be redeemed via the website.

How do I join the Andrew Ellis Privilege club?
It is quick and simple, just fill out your details on our site at
www.andrewellispaintings.com/privilege-club.php
Remember if you move please let us have your new contact details so that you don’t miss out on your chance to receive these fantastic offers.
SO JOIN UP NOW..... AND GOOD LUCK!

Falconry Fair 2010

2010-05-05T04:59:00.000-07:00

Well we're back from the falconry fair....It was a family affair this time, Donna and I were working on the stand helped by our good friend chris woods- and for the first time Joe and Maisie joined the team.
The fair wasn't as big as previous years, and attendance was definitely down on the Sunday- probably not helped by the fact that it was flippin cold. But there were more people around on Monday and the sun appeared in bursts at least.There were plenty of displays in the main arena, and our ring-side position meant we could take it in turns to pop out and catch bits of them.
It was great to catch up with so many friends and see familiar faces on the stand, as well as meeting new people.Lots of you came to collect your 2011 calendars- thank-you.
Those of you that asked to have the calendars posted to you- you should have received a paypal request for the outstanding balance by now- if you can pay those then Donna will get them sent out. If you haven't bought your yet they are now on our site.I managed to slip out of the stand and get a bit of photography done, and get some good reference shots for future paintings.Now it's back to it- I'd love to have a day off but i'm chained to the easel for the next few days at least, to get the latest painting finished and off to the gallery.

Andrew Ellis 2011 bird of prey calendar- UPDATE

2010-04-20T02:24:00.000-07:00

Wanted to let you all know that the 2011 calendars should be with us at the end of the week!

For all of you that have pre-ordered with a deposit, once they are here I will be in touch to find out if you want to collect the calendar from the fair or have it posted - then I can request the appropriate balance if necessary.

For those who have paid in full to have the calendars posted,I will send as many as possible before the weekend of the fair, and will email you so that you know they are on the way.Any not sent before the fair will be sent out straight after.

If you've not ordered your calendar yet you can see images, and place your order online at
www.andrewellispaintings.com

Or find Andy at the falconers fair - 1st weekend in May- we've got our own stand this time so look out for the Andrew Ellis black and yellow banner.

Remember if you buy them at the fair they are only £15 - so you save yourself a few pounds in postage costs.

Donna

In the studio last week

2010-04-06T23:51:00.001-07:00

A couple of pictures of life in the studio last week.....

There was me doing some research .....

and working on my latest painting of a black shaheen.
And then there was a mini artist working on her own projects....

"The flying of falcons"

2010-03-31T04:54:00.001-07:00

Some months ago I wrote a post about my involvement in an exciting new book- "The flying of falcons" by Ed Pitcher and Ricardo Velarde, with illustrations by myself, Bernd Poppelmann and Daryl Peterson. Well the book is all done now, and those who have bought it already have given us some great feedback.
I thought I'd share these photos taken by Robert Bagley...Ricardo signing Robert's copy of the eagerly awaited book.
Ed and Daryl opening up one of the first boxes of books to inspect them.Some of my paintings that have been used in the book.
One of the paintings "My girl " is proving to be a popular giclee print on our site- with over a third of the run already sold.Click here to buy yours.We are considering producing one or 2 more of the images as prints and will keep you informed of any developments with that.
Some of my sketches have also been reproduced - a nice feature to punctuate the text.

You can find out more about the book , including how to order your copy, at www.theflyingoffalcons.com
Or join the facebook page to see video clips about the book.

"Fire and Ice" (fox in snow print) now online

2010-03-21T03:08:00.000-07:00

This is the latest limited edition canvas print from Andrew Ellis.It is a run of 70 prints, each one is signed and numbered by the artist.We chose to put this stunning image into print as it has proved so popular as a greetings card.
Click on image below to see a larger version.

Andrew Ellis calendar for 2011

2010-03-03T01:33:00.000-08:00

I realise that it is only March but following the success of the 2010 Andrew Ellis calendar, we have been getting ready for 2011. Here's a sneak preview of some of the images that will feature in the calendar.As with last year the calendars will be produced in a limited quantity and you will be able to pay a deposit to pre-order yours. -More details of this to follow. The calendars will be ready for collection at the Falconry fair in May, and of course we will happily post them worldwide ( at the appropriate cost) for any one not attending the fair.
Remember to return to the blog again soon( or visit our website) to find details of how to pre-order your Andrew Ellis 2011 calendar.

New prints now available

2010-02-24T02:39:00.001-08:00

The blog unfortunately has been somewhat neglected of late due to work, but here's what's new...

We've just added 2 new limited edition signed prints to the website, one canvas giclee, and one paper giclee , both partridge images,
and also coming soon "fire and ice" - fox in snow, as a canvas giclee.

To view and order go to
www.andrewellispaintings.com

We've also been working on choosing images for a new calendar for 2011, and will be posting more information about that soon , including how you can pre-order yours online.

Leon sky trials

2009-10-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

I will be attending the Leon Sky trials in Spain from the 8th of October until the 12th . I will have a selection of prints and greetings cards for sale. So if you are attending yourself come say hello.

I am looking forward to seeing some Spanish falcons fly.

Carl Cheshire from GAMEHAWKER will also be there ,so if you need a new hawkbox or
dogbox he will be able to help you out.

Wonderful Migrants part 2

2009-09-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

September:

September for me is one of the highlights of the calendar year. With my spare time starting to be devoted to the readying of falcons for the season and the feeding of game on the various pieces of ground that I fly on . But also the birding side of things takes on a different hue, with migrants starting to leave and the countryside looking heavily to autumn and winter. I visited South down farm on one such day and could really feel that pace of change on the wind. Watching the swallows hawking insects on the wing, fattening themselves for the journeys that await them. Because of bad weather the harvest seemed even later than last year .As I drove around the farm, there seemed a hint of melancholy and a wistful lament at the passing of summer. However this was a beautiful day bright, clear and warm. September can be a wonderfully mild month at times and brings certain clarity to the wonder of autumn. I noticed a cock Cirl Bunting singing from one of the many gorse lined hedges near the old quarry, His “Zorro” like markings giving him the feel of a bandit Yellowhammer!! I often hear the Cirls before I see them. They have a dry “zeehhh” or “Zit Zit” calls. A lot of Colin’s farming is aimed at helping the Cirl population here. Ravens croncked over head And Cock pheasants proclaimed their locations around the farm by their chorusing. I watched as the resident pair of kestrels systematically worked the area of wild bird mix that I had seen the Hobby at. The female at one point stooped down and caught something. I watched her return to a nearby post and start to eat what appeared to be bright green lizard. I later identified it as being a male sand lizard. This was a little sad as I found out that they are rather scarce and protected. Obviously not from Kestrels!! Later though I did see a Sparrow hawk actively chase one of the kestrels and it looked like a pretty serious attack as intended on a prey item. The Sparrow hawk did pull off after about 50 yards. Which shows that nature does not favour anyone when it comes to survival?

Further to the North West along the coast is the river Yealm. Every year without fail one particular Osprey makes this his stop off point to and from Africa. Known as Mr Green to some of us he always gives me and a few more serious birdwatchers a wonderful few days each April and September. I do not always catch him every year, but when I do it is always worth it. Some of my friends have been recording his movements for what must be around ten years at least. This year he was joined by a young female for a day or two and they hunted together on the river. She moved on a week ago now. He does not always give us close views but he always seems to have his regular trees that he frequents and he’s a good model when perched in the right place. Soon, as he departs our shores for the warm climate of Africa we will see the local birdlife change in complexity as again more migrants come to our area from the north and so everything shifts again to the pulse and rhythm of the seasons.

Wonderful Migrants

2009-09-15T01:16:00.000-07:00

August:
Driving along the tracks of the farm, I watched as a kestrel worked one of the old hedgerows of the farm and its ample grassed margin running out to the track. I stopped the truck and sketched her as she worked towards the vehicle. Swallows whizzed by on flashing purple wings. She was harassed by two Magpies like two troublesome boys picking on the local swat on her way home from school. She ignored their machinegun clatter and peeled back over to resume her work. I drove on towards an area of wild bird mix planted this year by Colin the farmer .It will give cover and food through the harder months that will follow. Skylarks sang around me and I stopped to draw them and the Charms of Goldfinches foraging amongst the thistles at the edge of the crop. The Field known as Decca had been in Oilseed rape this year and now had been cut ,the tall stalks giving perches to the flocks of linnets wheeling then dropping down to feed in amongst its stalks. The flocks did seem restless and soon the reason revealed herself in spectacular fashion. A female Hobby came dashing in from nowhere scattering the feeding Goldfinches which bailed into the cover nearby whilst others scattered like rice being thrown at a wedding. She missed in her attempt and just carried on as if she were just playing tag. What a wonderful bird one of our most spectacular migrants that always brings a bit of excitement to a day in the field.

Andrew Ellis calendars for 2010 have sold out

2009-08-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

THE CALENDARS HAVE SOLD OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank-you to all of you who have bought your calendars ready for next year, and sent us messages to let us know how pleased you are with them. We're really pleased with the response we've had and I'm sure we'll bring out another Andrew Ellis calendar for 2011.

We're chasing a handful of people who have paid deposits some time ago but not paid for their calendars in full.

I have written to those concerned at the end of last week asking for a quick reply,as I wasn't having any luck with emails.There is now a waiting list of people who'd like a calendar if one becomes available.

So if you are one of the people concerned please please please get back to us , if i don't hear from you by the weekend i will have to return your deposit and sell your calendar to someone else- sorry but i can't wait any longer when there's people queuing up to buy them.

Don't miss out on your Andrew Ellis calendars, if you've already paid a deposit, please email us at sales@andrewellispaintings.com or contact us on the phone number that was on your letter,you can pay the balance and we can get it sent straight out to you.

Thanks

Chance to win doug pineo/ andrew ellis falcon's hood

2009-08-03T03:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Guy's thought I would call your attention to the Chance to win a very special Falcons Hood produced by Doug Pineo and myself. I will be at the Eastern Region BFC meeting taking place on the 7th of Aug at Menzies Cambridge Hotel & Golf Club, Bar Hill , Cambridge, CB23 8EU From 6.30pm.

The Hood featuring a painting on each side panel was especially commissioned by the eastern region and will be part of the raffle prizes. There will also be a talk on Merlins by Grant Hagger and Tony James which should be very interesting to anyone that has an interest in flying these beautiful little falcons. I will be there also with artwork prints etc

So please come along and support the Eastern Region by Helping with the raffle

Non BFC members are also welcom

Andy Ellis

International Falconry festival 2009

2009-07-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

We'd like to say a big thank-you to everyone who helped to make our weekend at the falconry festival a great success. It's important to publicly thank some people, because without them we couldn't have done it. Andy's parents for looking after Joe and Maisie, Carl from gamehawker for making our display panels,and helping to put them up. Jamie, Chris and Kerry for helping on the stand.And of course everyone who spent their hard earned cash! It was great to see familiar faces and catch up with old friends, and Donna enjoyed the opportunity to put faces to the names she's been in contact with via email.

Thank-you everyone who took part in our draw at the falconry festival to win a limited edition paper giclee.

The lucky winner is......
Lauren Milhall from weston super mare

"The flying of falcons" by Ed Pitcher

2009-06-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

“The flying of falcons “ by Ed Pitcher, a much awaited publication is soon to be released. It’s not a “how to “book, it instead describes a philosophy of flying falcons that mirrors their natural development. It challenges some of the traditional preconceived ideas about how to fly falcons, and will prove an interesting read.

A few years ago on a visit to the U.S I was staying on a friend’s ranch which was being managed by fellow falconer, Daryl Peterson. Daryl had casually mentioned that Ed Pitcher lived nearby. Ed Pitchers name in the world of Falconry has become synonymous with the flying of falcons to the extreme limits of visibility and altitude. So it is with fond recollection that I remember back to that one afternoon visit. We sat and chatted about peregrines and in particular the Red shaheen that Ed had flown and I listened awestruck as he recounted experiences that he had with this and many of the other falcons he has flown. When asked by Ricardo Velarde to contribute to this new volume written by Ed I did not hesitate. Ed’s unique viewpoint and freethinking mental approach towards the training of falcons has become for me a breath of fresh air. It has been a great honour to be involved with both Ricardo and Ed on this book and I hope you take from it as much inspiration as I and many others have.

I am pleased to have contributed about 14 paintings, plus sketches, to be used as illustrations for the book. One of them “My girl” is a painting of one of my own peregrines, Missy.(pictured above) You may have seen the original of it displayed at the falconry fair a couple of years ago. We are now putting this image into print in time to be launched at the falconry festival in July. When the original was displayed it attracted many favourable comments, and so hopefully this will prove to be a popular print.

You can learn more about Ed pitchers new book "the flying of falcons" by clicking here

Cheetah conservation fund

2009-06-09T04:53:00.000-07:00

When we launched the Andrew Ellis premier edition giclee “The chase is on “, we decided it was an ideal opportunity to support the work of The cheetah conservation fund. Each time one of the giclees sells we make a donation of 15% of the profit to the CCF. When 2 of the run of 25 sold last month we were really happy to be able to make a donation which we know will go to help the very important work that the CCF carry out.

The CCF have a vision “to see a world in which cheetah’s live and flourish in co-existence with people and the environment” and to achieve this are involved in science and research programmes, and they’ve managed to reduce the number of cheetahs killed on commercial farms through education. CCF has close links and assists in training and sharing programme successes with other countries where cheetah live, including Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Iran and Algeria. CCF's international programme includes distributing CCF materials, lending resources and support, and providing training through Africa and the rest of the world.

The plight of cheetahs symbolizes the problems that many predators face throughout the world.The world's fastest land animal, the sleek and long-legged cheetah, is losing its race for survival. Once a common animal found on five continents, the cheetah is now an Endangered Species. Loss of habitat, conflict with humans, as well as its own loss of genetic variation, are the main threats facing the cheetah today. The cheetah needs large expanses of land to survive, but with changes in land use and habitat pressures, such as bush encroachment, this area is becoming smaller and smaller. Unfortunately, captive breeding efforts have not proven meaningful to the cheetah's hopes of survival.Cheetahs have existed on earth for at least three-and-a-half to four million years - long before any of the other big cats that are alive today. About 20,000 years ago, cheetahs were common throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America

The number of cheetahs has decreased from 100,000 at end of the 19th century to approximately 10,000 today.

So please consider helping this worthy cause.

Remember 15% of the profits from the sale of each copy of “The chase is on” by Andrew Ellis go direct to The Cheetah Conservation Fund.

To find out more about the work of the Cheetah conservation Fund visit www.cheetah.org

New Andrew Ellis greetings cards

2009-05-18T02:08:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that our new range of greetings cards featuring Andrew Ellis paintings are now available online. The direct link to the correct page of our website is here. You can also click on images in the sidebar of this blog to take you to the relevant pages to view and buy Andrew Ellis cards, prints and calendars.

Within the range of 8 cards, we've chosen a mixture of animals and birds, they are available to buy singularly and as packs. As with our prints and the new calendar for 2010 , we are happy to send the cards worldwide.

Here's 3 of the images which are available.

"Broken silence"- timber wolves

"Get 'em up"- pointer and grouse

"Springbok clash"- springbok

Over the coming months Andrew will be explaining the story behind each of the paintings used in his new range of cards.

Falconry Festival 2009

2009-05-07T03:45:00.000-07:00

Incase you're not aware on 11th and 12th July this year the 2nd international festival of falconry will be held near Reading at the Englefield Estate.

There will be workshops and discussion groups held in the seminar tent on both days, and in the arena there will be events throughout the day charting the history and culture of falconry with falconers from the Far east, Central asia, middle East and Europe.
There will be exhibits focusing on conservation, veterinary advice, falconry heritage,art, education areas, mews and weathering.

And of course best of all we will be there!
We will be selling prints, framed , mounted and loose. Those of you who have already pre-ordered the new 2010 Andrew Ellis calendar will be able to collect your copy, and hopefully there should be some available for those of you haven't preordered , we'll also have our new range of cards for sale, and if all goes to plan there will be a brand new print launched- more about that nearer the time.
If you'd like to find out more about the festival go to
www.falconryfestival.com

More images from the 2010 calendar

2009-04-21T02:38:00.000-07:00

The response for the calendar has been great- thank-you! Since starting pre-ordering just under a month ago half of the 200 that will be produced have now been secured with deposits. At this rate they could all be spoken for by the time we get to the falconry festival in July. You've already seen 3 of the fantastic images that will be included, but incase you need a little more persuasion here's a couple more good reasons why you should order yours now.
Peregrine and Grouse

Orange breasted falcon

2010 Andrew Ellis bird of prey calendar

2009-04-02T04:16:00.000-07:00

We've chosen 12 bird of prey images for the 2010 calendar, there's a good mixture to hopefully keep everyone happy including hawks, falcons, buzzards, and eagles.

It's an A3 sized wall hanging calendar, each page has a generous sized image of one of Andrew's stunning bird of prey paintings and at the bottom there is plenty of space for writing.To get an idea of how the calendar will look go to the homepage of the website and click on the link.Please note the order of the images will not be as on the site- this is just to show the chosen layout.
Gyr Falcon siblings

You can pre-order with a £5 deposit per calendar- balance to be paid upon collection at the falconry festival in the UK in July, or we can post them worldwide- if you wish for them to be posted to you we will send an invoice for the balance nearer the time.
Red Tailed Hawk

Remember only a limited number of these calendars are being produced so pre-order to avoid disappointment.We posted a new thread on the international falconry forum on Sunday night about it and within a couple of hours over 20 had been ordered, so it's definitely worth placing your orders quickly.

The Taita falcon

2009-03-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

"Zambezi Fall"

The Taita falcon for me is one of nature’s sparkling diamonds. I first came across the existence of this beautiful little falcon when I was about thirteen and I had just discovered the not long published book Falcons of the World by Prof Tom Cade. As any typical teenage kid interested in something, I poured over this book for long hours. It never left my side for days-weeks. Ron Digby’s paintings made it all the more involving and I lost myself in it dreaming of seeing, painting and of course flying some of the wonderful falcons contained in it's pages. However one above all others captured my interest more than any. The Taita or Teita as it is sometimes referred to. I was already by then, in love with all things Peregrine and to now see this miniature brightly coloured version of it's larger relative just about topped everything. I’ve always had a thing about smaller races of animals that occur in different parts of the world. Someone as vertically challenged as me kind of empathizes with them I guess! I was soon on a bit of a quest trying to find out more and more about this little falcon. I soon found many other publications which talked of its beauty and conversely its rarity! It seems that all of the past artists that have been interested in raptors and particularly falcons have at sometime or other painted its precise chiseled little form. George Lodge and David Reid Henry in particular have done some beautiful pieces of Taita Falcons. David Reid Henry’s illustration of them for me takes some beating, Featured in Birds of Prey of the World by Brown and Amadon. It wasn’t long before I was doing my best to immortalize this wonderful little falcon with my own hand. In 1997 I painted Zambezi Fall in which depicted a Taita stooping on Swifts deep in the gorge of the Victoria Falls . I purposely gave the lower portion of the painting a dark foreboding feel to emphasize the critical nature of the Taita’s population. This has since become one of my most successful limited editions which you can see on my Website www.andrewellispaintings.com .I later painted the portrait above which can be seen on the next cover of the IAF ( international association of falconry) newsletter with a more lighter positive mood to it showing a bird completely at ease and happy with its surroundings.

The Taita’s current situation is still critical and where there have been some success stories there is now some questions as to how in particular the birds from Zimbabwe are fairing. I had the good fortune to stay with Tim Wagner an extremely good Falconer, breeder and host from South Africa when I visited the country back in 2001. Tim was the first guy to discover the Taita breeding in South Africa in the Eighties. The particular pairs he discovered are now well known and occupy the same sites after many years. There have since been more sites discovered and the Taita in South Africa at least seems to be making some sort of comeback.

Captive breeding with these Falcons is still a little problematical it seems. The Peregrine Fund took some with the view to producing a viable captive population for release programs for the future but this seems to have fragmented a little and the birds seem to have limited breeding success in captivity. However some Falconers in South Africa do seem now to be producing young. There was a workshop held last year at the Pan African Ornithological Congress in Cape Town, concerning the conservation status of the Taita falcon. Although I have no details of the outcome of this workshop Let’s hope that we can soon be in a position to help safeguard the existence of the enigmatic little falcon

A successful outcome to a captive pair in Zimbabwe in 08.

In the studio- the latest painting

2009-03-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I vowed that I would update the blog more regularly, unfortunately that hasn't really happened due to being holed up in the studio most of the time. Often I get asked what I'm currently working on and most of the time I am able and happy to talk about the latest painting,and share images of it in progress. At the moment however I am not able to do this as I am working on a private commission, which unfortunately I am not able to share images of. It's a large piece almost double the size of the largest paintings I normally produce and will be heading for Abu Dhabi when it's finished. It seems to be taking forever and I must admit is proving to be quite a challenge. The size of the piece means it's obviously taking a lot longer than usual, it was started in January and despite coming on well now, there is still a lot to do, it has to be finished by mid April so I can see I will be working late into the night on quite a few occasions over the coming weeks. So this is where I spend my time... the studio we had built in the back garden about 5 years ago.
One wall of which is a bookshelf filled completely with reference books - infact well and truly over filled- the plan is to move this to the larger side wall . Not sure when we'll time to do this but it's something to aim for!The tools of the trade! Generally I work with acrylic paints but I'm using oils for the piece I'm painting at the moment.This adds to the time it takes , as they are slower drying and I have to work in a slightly different way to usual, to build up the colours and textures etc, but it definately adds a beautiful quality of light and colour to the piece. I think the end result will be worth the effort.

Special Offer - White Gyr and Sharptail Grouse only £25 this month

2009-03-13T04:33:00.001-07:00

For one month only we have cut the price on the white gyrfalcon and sharptail grouse print by £20!
( was £45 now only £25- uk and Europe, £35 rest of the world, all prices include P&P)

This fantastic offer is only available until 31st March 2009.

This stunning lithograph print by Andrew Ellis is signed and numbered by the artist. It is a limited edition of 360, and measures 48 x 38 cm

You'll remember how quickly our offers sold out last month, so don't delay in placing your order.

There's a direct link on the homepage of the website
www.andrewellispaintings.com

A Sad day for Art

2009-01-18T03:01:00.000-08:00

OBITUARY

Andrew Wyeth, famed and infamous artist, dies at 91

By Michael Kimmelman

Published: January 16, 2009

Andrew Wyeth, one of the most popular and also most lambasted artists in the history of American art, a reclusive linchpin in a colorful family dynasty of artists from tiny Chadds Ford, Penn., whose precise realist views of hardscrabble rural life became icons of national culture and sparked endless debates about the nature of modern art, has died at his home in suburban Philadelphia, The Associated Press reported.

He was 91.

Wyeth gave America a prim and flinty view of Puritan rectitude, starchily sentimental, through parched gray and brown pictures of spooky frame houses, desiccated fields, deserted beaches, circling buzzards and craggy-faced New Englanders. A virtual Rorschach test for American culture during the better part of the last century, Wyeth split public opinion as vigorously as, and probably even more so than, any other American painter including the other modern Andy, Warhol, whose milieu was as urban as Wyeth's was rural.

Because of his popularity, a bad sign to many art world insiders, Wyeth came to represent middle-class values and ideals that modernism claimed to reject, so that arguments about his work extended beyond painting to societal splits along class, geographical and educational lines. One art historian, in response to a 1977 survey in Art News magazine about the most underrated and overrated artists of the century, nominated Wyeth for both categories.

Art critics mostly heaped abuse on his work, saying he gave realism a bad name. Supporters said he spoke to the silent majority who jammed his exhibitions. "In today's scrambled-egg school of art, Wyeth stands out as a wild-eyed radical," one journalist wrote in 1963, speaking for the masses. "For the people he paints wear their noses in the usual place, and the weathered barns and bare-limbed trees in his starkly simple landscapes are more real than reality."

Floyds Diary 16th Jan 09

2009-01-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

16thJan Fri
I was due to meet up with Jamie at 7.00 – 7.30 but looking out into the blackness at 7.00 am showed it to be raining quite heavily. Jamie had text me shortly after saying that he would not be coming as he had a lecture at 9.00 and it would be cutting it too fine. I chose to work for a while in the studio and see if the rain would clear away around nine. Sure enough it did so at 9.00 am I was on the road out to Aveton , I had decided to do the yabbacombe Side of the farm. On the two stubble turnip fields and hedgerow strip. As I pulled up in the field, Woodies spilled from the trees and headed out into the neighbours stubble field. I went ro the back of the truck and got Floyd ready with transmitters etc. I stepped him up and walked out into the stubble turnips accompanied by the bland staring of a group of sheep bleating monotonously at me thinking I was going to give them extra food. Wilf the farmer had moved them there a few days ago to start grazing the turnips, keeping them fenced to small sections of the field as they work their way through it like woolly locusts. The Woodies were still in the stubble field and I was uneasy about their proximity to where I’d be slipping Floyd. I twirled the lure as I walked towards them to force them to take off some singles dropped out from the conifers too and left much to my relief. I walked on and stuck the braces on Floyd’s hood and un hooded him. He looked about him and I gave him a little longer than I usually give him before casting him off into the wind. He took off low across the field heading for the top of the wood. As he flew out over the top my insecurities about him surfaced and I gave him a short shout to remind him of his role. He nonchalantly looked over his back as if to say yeah alright, alright stop worrying. Just over the top of the wood as I expected a Woodie to commit suicide coming out underneath him he turned back down wind towards and high over me. Then he powered out into wind over the valley, climbing not with his usual clippy wing beat but with a powerful driving rowing action. As I walked on I thought I will give him more time today. I won’t run at any point or get animated in any way and see what happens to his attentiveness. Dave told me that he seems to need this animation going on underneath him but the more I fly him on my own the more I’m not sure of this. He is very quick to anticipate any behaviour that signals an imminent flush so I need to mix up my approaches with him to keep him guessing. As I got to the end of the first field I looked up, he was 400ft+ and making into the wind, out to my right. I moved to my right, getting below him and then started up through the cover strip from the bottom running next to the hedge dividing the two fields as I passed the first feeder a hen pheasant broke cover from the other side of the hedge. It flew out and then curled round, racing up the hedge on the other side towards the green lane. Floyd came streaking past above to my right following the path that the pheasant took. I didn’t see the impact but I heard it and saw his throw up about sixty yards further on from the other side. He winged over and was down in a flash. As I ran through the gap in the hedge three more hens and a cockbird flushed. I found him on his hen at the bottom of the hedge. Well Pheasant for the pot Yumm.

Floyd Diary entry 14thJan 09

2009-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Wed 14th Jan Temp 2 oC

Weighed him in the field, He was 1lb 11 3/8 oz a little heavier than i would have wanted but I was keen to get him back on the wing. I decided to fly him on the Valley set at Aveton, I drove down the road from the top barns where I weighed him and passed the other north side of the farm . Seeing the frost covered strip running down the the middle of the open wheat field on my right I wondered whether to switch but decided to stick to my plan. 2minuets later I was stepping out of the Landrover looking across the open stubble field into the sun and crisp morningchill. I opened the back and stepped floyd up onto my fist , Attached his transmitter and walked out , wondering all the time whether he would take to the morning flying that we will be doing till the season burns out at the end of this glorious of months. Floyd fidgeted on the glove, anticipating the game ahead . I looked across the valley to the Conifer trees at the valley's head . There were a few Woodies in there but time was pushing on and i needed him to be in the air. I removed the fastening clip and struck the braces of his hood , He leaned forward tiptoeing on the glove i left the hood in place,one last look around then tipped it from his face. The gold from the horizon glinted in his eyes as he took in the scene. I cast him off only for him to land in the stubble . i walked forward and he left the floor heading for the wood and the Pigeons just stirring from cold. As they spilled from the tree's he quickened his wing beat flying in amongst them as a
puppy would chase butterflies from a meadow. He pressed one hard making it bail into the trees. He continued on into the wind above the conifers and now high above the valley he turned and climbing came back towards me. I felt my body relax so much so that I hadn't realized how tense I must have been watching him have his play with the pigeons. Floyd was now high above in the crisp air and i was approaching the top of the strip. He now turned behind me at an impressive pitch keeping tight circles as I moved down the strip. About twenty feet in a Cock Pheasant broke from behind me and headed for the top hedge not far away. Floyd began his stoop but pulled out knowing it would make cover. Damn I should move that feeder I thought to myself, If only he had been another 30 ft down the strip Floyd would have had a good crack at him. Floyd immediately started to mount again above me I wasn't sure where the partridge would be in here today and I crouched to not alarm them further. Floyd read the signal and remounted to
a higher pitch than before and when ready came over signaling his his readiness.Not wanting to encourage this form of him training me, I stayed put ! He then powered off over the other side of the valley climbing as if his life depended on it . As he got out over the other fields I started to walk , Mistakenly I should have let him further latitude as he immediately broke off climbing across towards me but not as high as I wanted or knew he could have got out there.No matter he was on his way back now . I walked on thrashing cover and generally disturbing the peace. Eight Partridge flushed from about five meters in front of me and raced hell for leather down the field. Floyd rolled into a stoop but I watched the Partridge he Honed in on one at the bottom of the stoop , hitting it with a glancing blow which forced it to turn down the valley. Floyd threw up an turned on it too tail chasing it towards the valley bottom and cover. He connected just before cover and came to rest with his prize.

Diary entry from early on In the Floyd Experience

2009-01-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

Well today , with a bit of wind and fairly clear conditions I was hopefully that Floyd would show me a little more. I've been slowly loosening the reigns in hope that I can trust him and the last two flights have been OK and relatively tight in their style. He has had a little bad luck regarding his closing the deal on flights but I still think he maybe taking a bit to get his eye or should I say footing in. Jamie joined me again today and we headed for Aveton one of the three spots that I fly game on. Its fairly typical of the countryside round here but has got some decent sized fields
that, with cover strips put in by the land owner and allows for some good gamehawking setups.
We flew on the Northwest side of the farm to make the most of the prevailing wind today. I sent Jamie to the top of the strip as I walked out on the windward slope to cast Floyd off . I'd already glassed the strip to see if there were partridge in there and saw at least four by the edge of it picking around. With Floyd now I just cast him off quickly to minimise his horizon chasing !!! With him on the wing I start walking immediately and try and keep him fairly centered. He did mount well and as I reached the lower fence line about to cross into the wheat field he was at about 300 + and still climbing. I quickly glanced to my right to see Jamie coming down the strip now only 20 yrds to the marked partridge . At about 10 yrds out the partridge broke and headed into wind across the open plough as I'd wanted them to go. Its about 250-300 yrds to cover that way. Floyd must have come thumping down as he gave one of the departing partridge a hell of a whack and it bounced of the plough he did a wing over but I was still to low to see over the ridge. the partridge gathered itself and took off hell for leather non the worst for its basket ball impression.It shot passed me heading for a bramble patch on the edge of the wood and fence line with Floyd hot on its heals. Both slammed into the hedge and I ran down to see if he had
snagged it in the cover. Unfortunately It made its escape and I was disappointed for Floyd he flew well and for some reason his feet aren't connecting in the right way at the mo. I'm sure it will come right for him . Jamie had my camera with him and took some shots of today's outing. One of the shots my face says it all . I'm getting more relaxed with Floyd now and slowly I think I will start pushing his mounting further.

Straying in to the Dark side.

2009-01-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

Well with no Falcon to fly and allot of game to fly at I was in a real quandry as to whatto fly . I asked around to see if anyone had a Peregrine to fly but no cigar . I'm a bit of a purist at heart and love the peregrine pure and simple. Allot of my mates all fly Hybrids down here and some exceptional ones too but I've never been comfortable with them.They are stunning to look at and years ago I thought they were the bee's knee's but after flying a Peregrine tiercel a few years back i have never looked at hybrids in the sameway since.Now enter Floyd, Floyd is a gyr x peregrine tiercel that was originally flown by my late friend and hawking bud Bruce Huxham. Bruce passed away two years ago after a very short but bitter battle with cancer and has been greatly missed by us all down here. Floyd bruces tiercel was taken on and flown by Dave Scott and he has become a lovely little game hawk. His only real vice is his tendency sometimes to just do one! and you have to get in front of him via the telemetry experience to stop him flying clear to Ireland !!! so here I am with the chance to fly my late friends Gyr x Peregrine and I've accepted the challenge. Well its only till the end of the season and its a chance to have a bit of fun and to give Bruce who is looking down on me a real laugh at his purist mate finally dipping a toe into the Dark side!!! Watch this space

More pictures of Megan in training

2008-12-04T02:36:00.001-08:00

Mending Megan

2008-12-01T01:08:00.000-08:00

For the last seven months or so I have been training and flying a female Peregrine. Her background is that she came in to my hands via my friend and fellow artist Dave Scott. Dave called me knowing that I was not flying a falcon at that time and told me he had been handed the bird, but with his own falcons to fly he could not put the time into her that was needed. She had come from a well known and carefully watched sight in the area and had got caught up in anti Pigeon netting on a building near the site. She was found by one of the volunteers hanging and obviously quite distressed entangled in the netting . A quick phone call to one of the registered ringers and she was rescued forth with. She was taken to a local vet who then evaluated her condition as unreleasable because of feather damage. She then found herself being cared for over night and put through the chain of registered and listed rehab individuals one of which is Dave. I had also had the experience of flying a previous male peregrine which I'd released back into the wild. At this point I was, to be honest a little reluctant to take on such a bird knowing that the vast majority of birds that come into captivity have little chance of making it back out especially a very young falcon and the the work involved . However i agreed to look at her and then make a decision. As I pulled up outside Dave's place I had already started to think how i was going to manage such a bird. Dave took me into his studio where the falcon was being kept in the dark in a box. We very carefully opened the top and there staring at me was a beautiful dark eyass Peregrine (meaning from the nest) .Her cheeks flared in threat posture and puffing herself up like harassed cobra about to strike she hissed at us . At that moment something switched in me and I instantly knew that I should take her on and help her no matter what it took in time and energy. Some things happen for a reason and I'm a great believer in fate . Its kind of weird that I should get this opportunity to help an injured falcon after loosing Missy my last Peregrine to a fence line in 2006 . We took her out of the box and put a hood on her to calm her then set about checking her over to asses the damage to her feathering and body. She had numerous creases and breaks along the primaries (the long finger like feathers on the ends of the wings) on both wings and although not snapped of completely they had been severely compromised in strength and lifespan. It was clear that she would need some extensive Imping ( replacement feathers grafted into the old quills still in the bird) . She also showed a quite obviously dropped left wing with a cut on the leading edge where the netting had cut into her. We carefully attached anklets and jesses and I took her home. I slowly went about the process of taming her down and getting her used to the sights and sounds of human life. the Kids took their job of exposing her to the garden comings and goings very seriously. Children very quickly get a Falcon absolutely bomb proof tame. If a bird can put up with kids tearing past and shouting , bouncing on trampolines etc they can put up with anything! within a week I had a visit from one her majesties inspectors to ring Megan as she had now been christened by Maisie my daughter. Soon she was flying loose and it was'nt long before we needed to get the feathers imped as she would not progress beyond coming a 100 yrds . I took her to a friend in Cambridge who had imped birds before successfully and she soon had a new set of wings to play with. We used the traditional method of imping using bamboo as the splint that slots inside the replacement feather then is glued and slid into the remaining quill coming out of the bird. This is a painless operation as the quills have no nerves and are like our fingernails . The difficulty is holding the bird down steady (casting) and keeping the stress levels down as we had to do each wing and the tail separately. I could now really start to push Megan's training on. I decided as I had done with my last Falcon to Kite train her. This involves sending the falcon up to the kite to get a lure hanging from the line off the kite in no time the bird is going up to about one thousand feet and is a very effective way of getting a falcon supremely fit. It also has the benefit of giving you the chance of teaching a falcon the very important lesson of the advantage of height . Megan took to the kite with no problems at all and was soon doing 800 ft climbs to the lure. I recently changed my set up from running the kite line down to using a parachute method where the falcon gabs the lure which is attached to a parachute that releases from the line and drifts down with the falcon. Unfortunately the rapid progress that I had enjoyed with Megan was relitively short lived and soon she started to loose the imped feathers put in to her wings . I tried to replace them as they came out but seemed to be fighting a loosing battle. Megan loves a bath and as such I feel it unfair to deny her that pleasure so every day without fail she is offered one . This unfortunately was the undoing of the bamboo imps put in because of water ingress into the glued shafts the bamboo swelled and split the quills both sides then as it dried ,shrank , then they became loose and Megan in the course of preening removed the feathers completely. I have since found a more efficient way of imping but the damage had been already done so unless I wanted to continue stressing her by repeated casting to refit new imps I had to call it a day on this season and be content with having given Megan some really good conditioning Physically and remind her that she is a Killer of birds.
As far as her cut in the wing this healed but there is still a drop to that wing after a work out.
I have also noticed that she is showing some slight signs of imprinting on People. She talks to me when she is picked up and is a little possessive of her food. These are not real bad problems at
the moment but will have to be watched . I feel really good about her progress in general especially the physical development that is so crucial for a first year bird. We will have to see what happens next year . For now she is going to be left to moult into a new set of feathers and then we can pick up where we left off.

"How long does it take you to paint a picture?"

2008-11-10T04:19:00.001-08:00

When people talk to me about my work they tend to ask similar questions, so I thought perhaps it was about time a wrote a post about it. I have to admit it doesn't seem like a very interesting topic to me but that's because it's just what i do every day, but I guess to other people it may be of interest.So here goes...
How long does it take you to paint a picture like that?
That's a popular question, infact someone asked me it on the falconry forum just yesterday.There's not a definite answer though. It depends on the subject and background, whether it's something I'm confident about painting, the size, and whether it's a piece I'm enjoying painting. Some pieces take days others weeks. Generally once I start a piece I work on it until it's completed but sometimes I get stuck or fed up with a piece so will leave it for a while to work on something else then come back to it with a fresh eye.
What sort of paints do you use?
I use acrylic paint, which is water based, it dries fairly quickly and once it dries is water resistant. This means it's convenient as brushes and palettes can be cleaned with water, and it allows me to easily build up layers of paint on a picture . It also means I can add washes of colour over an entire piece or an area of painting without disturbing what's already there. On occasion I have used oil paints but this requires a different way of working and the oils take a long time to dry which is not always convenient when you've got a deadline to work to! Though I will be doing more oil painting in the next little while.
What do you paint on?
I use 6mm MDF, which I prime with at least 2 layers of gesso, but often up to 4 layers, and between applying each layer with a roller I sand the board smooth to ensure a good base for my work. This preparatory work is time consuming but necessary to ensure a good finish. Occasionally I have on canvas and plan to again in the future especially for really large pieces.
Where do you get your ideas?
I do a lot of sketching, and take a huge number of photographs- thank goodness for digital photography- it used to cost a fortune getting numerous rolls of film developed!Then once I have gathered all my material I play around with ideas for compositions taking elements from different sketches and photos and combining them. The ideas are worked in pencil on a small scale in my sketchbook and sometimes i will try adding colour at this stage to give me a better idea of how the finished piece might look. I make use of technology too using adobe photoshop to change parts of the composition and alter the scale etc. I get a lot of ideas when I'm out in the countryside flying my falcon, and also when I'm involved in the small scale gamekeeping and management of partridges that I do. Sometimes I arrange fieldtrips like the recent one to Skomer, but from time to time I just go out to favourite spots with a scope and sketchbook, and see whats there.

Free print offer

2008-10-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Your chance to win a signed Andrew Ellis print.On 1st December we will put the names of everyone who is on the website’s online mailing list, into a draw. One name will be pulled out and that lucky person will be sent a print. Go online to www.andrewellispaintings.com/newsletter.php and add your details to the mailing list.

The winner will be able to choose one of the following prints, "genghis" or "gyr and sharp tail grouse"- see pictures below. Both of these are popular images which would make a great christmas present for yourself or someone else.

Andrew Ellis Limited on facebook

2008-10-25T04:01:00.000-07:00

We've now added a page on facebook for Andrew Ellis limited, so it gives you another way to keep up to date with special offers, and new giclees/ greetings cards being added to the online shop. Three photo albums have been set up on the page so far and these will also be added to over time.To get updates you will need to register for a free facebook account, search for Andrew Ellis limited, then click on the link to "become a fan". If you'd rather not recieve updates, just go and look at the page when it's convenient to you, and carry on reading this blog.

Website special offer

2008-10-13T01:22:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know, from now until the end of November( unless stock runs out sooner) we're running a special offer on the website. Buy 2 packs of greetings cards and we'll send you a 3rd pack free! Each pack contains 4 cards, one of each of the following designs: sparrowhawk and blackbird, white gyr and willow ptarmigan, peregrine and red legged partridge, and goshawk and pheasant. They are all stunning images and each pack retails at just £6.50 (uk/ europe) including postage. So with this great value offer you'll be getting 12 cards for just £13.Hurry as when the cards run out no more will be produced.

collared doves

2008-09-28T02:57:00.000-07:00

My latest piece is of two collared doves preening. I purposely kept the piece very simple , and without a background as such so that all the focus was on the birds. The inspiration for this piece came from photographs I took locally, early in the morning, it was a very tranquil time of day and I wanted to portray feeling in the finished painting.

Red deer stag

2008-09-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

I’ve just finished 2 paintings of red deer stags. The first was a commission piece in which I portrayed a majestic looking deer in the Highlands of Scotland during the summer months when their coats are redder. The second piece, (pictured above) is set in winter when the coat becomes much coarser. With both these pieces I wanted to focus on the whole animal , not just the antlers which is so often the case in paintings of deer.

The puffins of Skomer

2008-09-18T02:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of people have said to me you’ve not put much on the blog lately. It’s true, I keep meaning to update it then get tied up in other stuff… usually work! So I guess if I’m not on here very often you can take that as a good sign that I’m busy, hopefully busy painting , and not just faffing around as my wife calls it- obviously I’m not just faffing I’m mentally preparing myself.
Anyway so what have I been up to .

Well at the beginning of the summer, you may remember, I took a day trip to Skomer with friend and fellow falconer Vicky. Skomer is a nature reserve island just off the Pembrokshire coast. It’s a fantastic place to view many types of seabird, but I particularly wanted to see the puffins. It was a long day, but well worth it in terms of reference gathering, and also having the opportunity to observe these fascinating creatures.
On the day I took a lot of photos and did some pencil sketches (see earlier post )which I worked on when I got back to the studio, trying out different compositions until I came up with something I was happy with. It’s always difficult to narrow it down and pick one painting to do from a trip like that, I’ve got plenty of material to work with and I’m sure I will come back to it some time in the future and create another painting from it. Here's teh finished painting from the day.

If you’d like to find out more about skomer and it’s wildlife here’s some useful links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/nature/thingstodo/walks/pages/skomer3.shtml
http://www.skomer.co.uk/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skomer

The launch of the premier collection

2008-08-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

I'm really pleased to announce that the first of the new premier collection is now on the website.The premier collection will be a range of high quality canvas giclees, that are hand varnished and numbered like our other giclees. These however will be even more highly sought after as only 25 of each image will be produced- making them real collector's pieces.

The first image i have chosen to launch is a powerful cheetah piece, entitled "The chase is on" . It's very difficult trying to select which images to put into print, but many people have expressed an interest in this piece, and I was keen to choose an image with which I could help to raise funds to support the vital work done by the cheetah conservation fund http://www.cheetah.org/, who develop research, conservation and education programmes and are based in Namibia. I am very fortunate to have travelled to different parts of the world to see the amazing creatures that I love to paint, first-hand. The reality is though that unless we support charities such as ccf, our children may not have such opportunies, so please help by buying this giclee as 15% of the profits from the sales will go directly to ccf. Thank-you.