The Old Red Deer Stag - Mixed Media on Black Paper

''The Last Call'

Red Deer Stag, mixed media on black pastlemat.

Each year we spend a couple of days over the New Year period in Scotland and weather permitting on New Years Day itself we pay a visit to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie.
I always take hundreds of photographs and when looking through them for inspiration this image jumped out at me. Judging by the amount of grey and white he had on his head I would imagine he is quite elderly but he was still watching over the hinds.

Hare Today Gone Tomorrow

'Watching'

Pastel on Velour Paper

I finally finished the hare I'd been working on at Harrogate Spring Flower Show and finalised the limited edition prints.

While working on this image I frequently thought about my dad because one of his little saying was 'hare today, gone tomorrow'. Although he's been dead for over eighteen years I can still hear him saying it.

Having seen the media footage of the aftermath of the Oklahoma hurricane it suddenly struck me how terribly apt the saying was, we are indeed here today and gone tomorrow. It  made me realise just how important it is to live for today, appreciate what I have and not long for tomorrow.

Limited edition giclee prints of 'Watching' are available direct from me, I will update my website later today.
Edition limited to 350, produced on 100% cotton fine art paper.
Image size approximately 13.5 x 9.5 inches, the print is mounted/matted in white, mounted/matted size 16 x 20.

** Now available direct from my website**

If you'd like any further information please email me: gayle.mason@gmail.com

Slow Progress on the Foxes

Progress has been slow on the foxes because I've spent time doing things with the family over the Christmas period.
I'm going to Scotland for a few days from tomorrow but I intend to finish all the pieces I've started before the end of January. Expect to see the bear, foxes, pheasants and a leopard all of which are in varying stages of completion.

I'm deciding what my artistic aims are for 2013 so that will be my first post of the new year.

Brown Hare - Part 3

I've been updating my website so progress on the hare has been slow.
I'm hoping that I can finish it tomorrow.

Brown Hare - Part 2

Yesterday I picked some of the orange poppies I have flowering in my garden. I'm considering adding one or two in the background using very soft watercolour washes as they are more or less the same colour as the hare's eyes.
It's a good job I picked them yesterday as there is heavy rain here in Yorkshire this morning and most of the petals are now ruined.

Brown Hare in Mixed Media

I want to take a break from drawing cats, I feel that I need to concentrate on different subjects for a while. I have more or less completed the images for this years Society of Feline Artists exhibition so I can spare the time away from the felines.
I want to add to my portfolio of british wildlife so I'm starting with this hare.
I'm using coloured pencil and watercolour on a Strathmore paper. The image size is about 10 x 8 inches.
The left ear is not yet completed as I need to really concentrate on the way the fur grows.