Woodcock Paintings: Colin Woolf - Wildlife Paintings
Woodcock Pin-feather Painting
My specially-made feather 'brush' |
The woodcock is one of Britain's most enigmatic and elusive game birds. Since medieval times a wealth of country folklore has endowed it with an aura of mystery and magic - a reputation echoed by the cryptic camouflage pattern of its plumage and its sudden appearance on flickering wings during the twilight hours of dawn or dusk. Some woodcock remain in Britain throughout the year, and in summer the male's curious 'roding' display flight can often be seen just before nightfall; but masses of them arrive during the autumn, when a cold, clear night with a full moon often brings a silent 'fall' of woodcock on open expanses of moorland and pasture.
I was first attracted to the challenge of painting with a woodcock pin-feather about twelve years ago, when I was told about the technique by a gamekeeper. Once in demand with Victorian miniaturists, the tiny pin-feather comes from the leading edge of a woodcock's wing and only two such feathers occur on each bird (one on each wing). |
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The tip of a Woodcock's pin-feather can just be seen on the leading edge of the wing at left. A single feather from the other wing is shown in the middle, along with a feather from the back of a Woodcock, to show just how small the pin feather really is! |
As an instrument for painting it's far from ideal, holding very little paint, resisting water and wearing down quickly at the tip. Despite these drawbacks, and after much trial and error, I've developed a successful technique. After completion, the pin-feather is inserted into the watercolour paper, a finishing touch which adds to the uniqueness of the painting.
An example of a complete painting, painted with a Woodcock's pin-feather. The actual feather used to paint this woodcock is slipped into the paper just next to my signature at the bottom right of the image |
This image is roughly twice the size that I painted it, showing just how much detail you can achieve with a pin-feather |
My most famous pin-feather painting was painted with a 150-year-old feather, kindly given to me from the collection of Lady Letitia Louisa Kerr. This painting was auctioned at the Mall Galleries in London in 1999, and is now available as a print.
Woodcock pin-feather originals are becoming highly sought-after by game shooters and fine art collectors the world over. If you'd like to commission your own unique pin-feather painting, I'd be delighted to discuss it further with you.
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