Sarah Corner
Tipperary, Ireland, Peregrine Falcon, oil, 16 x 20" (41 x 51 cm)
My Inspiration
During a residency at the Cill Riallaig artist’s retreat in County Kerry, I saw and sketched ravens, choughs and many sea birds but it was a glimpse of the beautiful peregrine falcon that inspired this oil painting. It seemed to me as if they are made of the same colors as the sea and sky and I wanted to capture the wild nature of these fantastic masters of flight, so although it was perched I wanted it to look as if it could take to the skies at any moment. The artists’ cottages are on a cliff with breathtaking views of the Atlantic, which is mercurial in color and mood but I felt it was most stunning when turned into burnished silver by the sun.
My Design Strategy
I had a strong image in my mind’s eye, as I often do before I start a painting; the peregrine perched in the foreground framed by the shimmering Atlantic and I had sketched and photographed the scene while I was in Kerry. I love getting the detail right with birds and spend a lot of time observing, sketching and photographing in the field, but for a detailed portrait of the peregrine I went to a bird of prey centre where one was more willing to pose for me than her country cousin had been and I painted several preliminary watercolors. This freestyle work helps me to capture the spirit of a bird and make it look more alive in the more detailed oil painting.
My Working Process
I like painting on primed linen as I find the surface smoother and can achieve both the soft nature of feathers and sharp detail. I work in layers, taking weeks or months to finish a painting so I use a painting medium sparingly to increase flow and speed drying a little to avoid long breaks waiting for a layer to dry. After sketching in the outlines, I painted the background and worked forwards using large brushes first, gradually working down to the smallest for fine detail. I used the same palette of colors for the bird as I did for the sea and sky and even the color of the heather and bracken is reflected in the delicate buff color of the peregrine’s breast feathers.
Contact Details
» Email: sarahcornerartist@gmail.com » Website: www.sarahcorner.com