Trip to Utö

Finnish coast has thousands of islands and islets. These kinds of islands are paradise for bird painters. Some of our bird painters have spent weeks or months in small islands sketching, drawing and photographing birds. We went to Utö island for end of summer trip. This island is southern most inhabited island in Finnish coast. Most of time was spend photographing great views and birds, but on ferry and photographing hide there was time for sketching.

My sketches are almost always very quickly done and small. I do them when I want to plan painting composition or when I am building idea for a painting. Sometimes I draw details that I will use in painting. Other Finnish painters make many times more detailed and larger sketches that they colour. I admire their skill but I often would like to start making the final piece right away.

Some of my newest paintings will have original sketch attached on back of the painting.

Detailed story can be found in our birders diary blog