Adele Pound ASWLA
Golden Plover Amongst the Seaweed
Carbon Pencil and Watercolour
This piece was created from life in the field, as are most of my wildlife drawings. This particular piece was made at a small beach between Millisle and Donaghadee. This beach has had a regular flock of wintering golden plover roosting on the rocks, up to 450 birds at a time. This piece depicts the birds early in the winter in their winter plumage. As the spring progresses, they gradually change into their summer plumage, sporting a black face and breast, with a distinct white line between it and their golden back and wing plumage. By the end of April, they have usually gone, heading north to their breeding grounds.
When working in the field like this, I use a telecope to view the birds from the top of the beach. My field kit also includes binoculars, a large golf umbrella and waterproofs in case of rain as well as watercolours, palette, water pot and bottles of water, pencils and other media. In addition I will have lunch and a hot drink, as once I go out, I do not return for several hours. I make numerous drawings in a sketch book, testing colours and ways of working before creating a larger drawing such as this.