PUFFIN ISLAND - (with fond memories of reading Enid Blyton books)

When I was a little girl, I was a total Enid Blyton fan.  I lived vicariously all the adventures of the Famous Five and Secret Seven.   The story of a mystery on Puffin Island was my favourite.  The puffins were the most delightfully colourful and funny creatures.  I longed to see one.  Eventually I did. It was on a trip to the far north of Scotland.  I was totally enamoured and still am.  There was an interesting article about these birds in the National Geographic and I soaked up all the information with much interest.  The puffins depart in winter and nobody knows where they go.  They are excellent at flying with a large wingspan and are also extremely proficient at diving.

This diptych is my tribute to these birds.  It is the second of two fairly large works.  The first just did not work out and is now covered in a mix of teracotta and gesso giving it a nice soft pinky look as a base colour for my next painting.

A tip when painting these large works is, get the sky in first.  It sets the scene for the light and ambience of the entire work.

Hope you enjoy it.