johnthrelfall.art

The final countdown to North East Open Studios 2024 I am at The Milton Art Gallery, Milton of Crathes near Banchory for the duration, Studio 278. Open 10am - 4pm each day. Follow the yellow signs and please do drop by to say 'hello' if you are in the area.

A couple of the paintings that I have in the Artsafari Tutors Exhibition at the ArtSpace Gallery, Woodbridge, Suffolk, to celebrate 30 epic years of Artsafari. On until the 14th August. The first was painted on site at Hortabagy, Hungary on an Artsafari Hungary trip to see the crane migration. And the second one was a demo piece for an online Artsafari Pastel Workshop earlier this year.

A morning of local landscapes, alongside or down by the Water of Feugh, Finzean. Usually working in hard pastels outdoors.

Venue 278 - Threlfall, John

Spending as much time as possible in the landscape of Deeside and the Aberdeenshire coast, documenting the wildlife and light to be found and returning to the studio with these primary observations to be worked up into bigger pieces. As such I will be showing field sketches, gallery pieces and demonstrating at the easel throughout NEOS 2024.

https://www.northeastopenstudios.co.uk/studio/threlfall-john/

ArtAboyne has had a rearranging rehang with lots of new work on show, so well worth a second visit if you have already been, or a good time to see the show if you haven't 😃 The exhibition is on until the 10th August, at the Victory Hall, Aboyne, 10am - 6pm, entry free.

Young kittiwakes and adult puffins from another day out at the RSPB's Fowlsheugh seabird cliff reserve in Aberdeenshire. All in pastel pencils or hard pastels.

I enjoy painting landscapes and gave me the perfect opportunity to exhibit a few pieces. The first 2 are from Ballogie looking along Deeside towards Aboyne. The second 2 are north west coast weather occasions!! All pastel. ArtAboyne is up and running and looking great. Until the 10th August. 10am - 6pm each day. Entry Free.

ArtAboyne begins this weekend and this is one of 15 paintings that I have in the exhibition. It was a view we enjoyed each evening for about 2 weeks back in mid May from the bottom of our garden. It was demanding to be painted! Exhibition open each day from 10 am - 6pm, 20th July - 10th August, The Victory Hall, Aboyne, Deeside. www.artaboyne.com

Managed a few hours on the cliffs of RSPB Fowlsheugh last week. It was, however, a case of getting down out of the wind and drawing what could be seen from there...which, I'm pleased to say, was mostly razorbills. Great to see so many pairs with young. The guide books would have them in ink black plumage. The reality, in the bright light of the day, was a brownish tinge.

Re the loss of the lapwing chicks....Thank you for your understanding and understandable reactions and comments. We are aboslutely right to be shocked, hurt, saddened, outraged, angry etc etc . The callous indifference towards and complete disregard of the 'other than human' is hard to comprehend and extremely difficult to bear witness to. We must continue to 'rage against the dying of this light' (to misquote Dylan Thomas!!!) and do what we can, when we can, through our art (whatever form that may take) our voice, our vote, our actions, the lives we live.
PS This is an old drawing. There were 3 chicks beneath mum but only 2 pairs of legs sticking out!!

Feeling devastated this evening. A local field which had been left fallow, proved to be excellent for thrushes, wagtails, hares and lapwing. There were 2 lapwing chicks, less than a week old. What a joyous sight that was. Today the field was ploughed. No chicks, no lapwing. Nothing, except a deathly silence. 😔

A couple more paintings from my African Collection which are now available, and reduced, through my Studio Sale at www.johnthrelfall.co.uk/online-shop

My collection of African paintings and drawings has now made it to my Website Studio Sale page. Please take a look. www.johnthrelfall.co.uk/online-shop

A rocks and river morning in Glen Callater. Charcoal and hard pastels on Canson mi-teintes paper. 27 x 37 cms.

A real pleasure to spend time with a few brown hares in a local field this morning. (Apologies for the lousy photos! )

A cold windy morning catching up with spotted flycatcher. Had to redraw the bird when I got back to the studio. Still not happy with it but better than it was!! I am always relieved to see this bird. They are late to arrive and I always wonder if they are going to make it again this year. Pastel and charcoal on canson pastel paper.

A lovely session down by the river this morning. Just loving the pinks and greens in the rocks and the contrast with the whisky coloured water. Grey wagtail (Pastel and charcoal) Common sandpipers as noisy as ever! (pencil)

I am one of those artists who tries to avoid greens as much as possible.... but sometimes you just have to go with the season and the song!

Three new paintings delivered to the Braemar Gallery at the weekend. Excited to have my work on show here. Any enquiries dierct to [email protected]

Juvenile dippers on our local river already. Fortunately for me they were just hanging around waiting to be fed!

Yesterday was Global Birding's Big Day (https://globalbirding.org) and bird artists were encouraged to get out and draw. The focus was on migratory birds ie the cuckoo and wheatear, but I ended up drawing whatever grabbed me, hence the stonechat and the yellowhammer! Oh, and I came across a female emperor moth. I hadn't seen one of those for years.

Our local cuckoo is back. 😀 One day earlier than in previous years. Wasn't expecting it until tomorrow, so nice surprise first thing this morning.

My first redstart of the Spring this morning! To coincide with me putting this painting, from last year, into my website studio sale. www.johnthrelfall.co.uk/online-shop What beautiful birds they are.

I have added these fieldfare oil paintings to the studio sale on www.johnthrelfall.co.uk/online-shop (plus a few other pieces). Beautiful winter visitors that graced our garden whenever it snowed!

Another of my paintings at the SWLA Exhibition at Birdscapes Gallery, Glandford, Holt, North Norfolk. Any enquiries please direct to the gallery [email protected] Society of Wildlife Artists

One of my pieces in the SWLA Exhibition at Birdscapes Gallery, Glandford, North Norfolk. I do enjoy drawing and painting ringed plovers!! Enquiries direct to [email protected] Society of Wildlife Artists

Delighted that this landscape, looking towards Mar Lodge, near Braemar, has found a new home, via the excellent Braemar Gallery A couple of smaller Deeside landscapes that they are also have at the moment. Enquiries direct to https://www.braemargallery.co.uk

Final weekend of our charity fund raiser online exhibition 'Heat and Light - An African Canvas'. 35% of proceeds going to the and for their invaluable conservation work in Southern Africa. Please visit www.artistsforpainteddogs.com to browse and buy. I love drawing giraffe portraits, that wonderful character filled sculptural head, beautiful large liquid dark eyes and eyelashes to die for!! And painted dog puppies are seriously irresistible too! Exhibition closes Sunday March 31st at 6pm. Artists For Painted Dogs and other Wildlife Kim Thompson Art Endangered Wildlife Trust Art Safari

I can get very emotional around elephants. Truly remarkable creatures. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to draw them many times in Africa and I can remember each occasion vividly and intensely. This small oil painting is available from the 'Heat and Light' exhibition at www.artistsforpainteddogs.com Proceeds from any sales go to support the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the amazing conservation work that they do in Southern Africa. I am collaborating with wonderfully talented Kim Thompson Art on this project
Artists For Painted Dogs and other Wildlife Endangered Wildlife Trust Art Safari

Of all the paintings in the 'Heat and Light' exhibition this one of the White-fronted Bee-eater is the one I enjoyed painting the most! Not sure why, it just came together very naturally. I have drawn this lovely bird a number of times in Zambia but there was just something about this 'contented' pose that appealed to me. Browse and buy from the online exhibition at www.artistsforpainteddogs.com and support the vital conservation work of The Endangered Wildlife Trust Kim Thompson Art Artists For Painted Dogs and other Wildlife Art Safari