. . Hanna Aalto . .

Reading art books is good way to find new ideas and inspiration. Many times brain combines things seen to totally new idea and it might be difficult to see the connection between created artwork and those works where the idea was originated. I like to read art books before falling asleep. When mind is falling asleep subconscious gets the power, it is easier to get new ideas.

Haiku animals and British museum birds where purchased from the museum during our autumn visit. Haiku animals has pictures of 1700-1900 centuries Japanese animal paintings. On each double space there is a painting or other artwork and couple of haiku-poems from the subject. British museums animals books has pictures of bird paintings in their collection and poems from 1800-1900 centuries.

Eric Ennion

Eric Ennion is one of most influential bird painter of 1900. I managed to find two of books showing his works. Eric Ennion One man’s Birds is published 2005. This books has lots of paintings and sketches from artists home grounds and from his trips to abroad. There are paintings in almost every page and since they are quite small, most pages has lots of them.

The Living Birds of Eric Ennion is older book from 1982. In this book his paintings are in species group order. Some of the paintings are also in the newer book.

It is interesting to see how Ennions influence shows in the work of many present day bird painters.

It is clearly mid winter now. Nature around our house is covered with powder snow and it has been -30°C (-22°F). Birds stay near feeders and Arctic hares visit gardens during nights. Their paw prints show that these hares have been eating tree branches from neighbours garden. There is lots of prints on the snow, but I have not seen them yet.

I went out for taking pictures of frosty vegetation. You newer know when reference is needed. I often get inspiration to winter paintings during summer and vice versa. It was so cold that moisture from breathing made ice to eyelashes! Tree in front of our house had split because of shrinking ice inside it.

Merry Christmas

Ruffs are funny birds when they silently fight, jump and bow to each other. They are very nice looking creatures. Unfortunately stupid ones… I have seen flying Ruffs colliding and trying to land on sleeping ducks or other not so good surfaces.

This Bittern painting is now almost ready. I put finished painting against a wall for a couple of weeks. When I look at them after this brake, I can see immediately if something is still not right.