Transcribing Birdsong to Line – Wompoo Fruit Dove, framed watercolour painting by Libby Derham

Description

Clunk…clunk clunk…the sound of dropping fruit behind me while I paint in the forest. There, just next to me as I look up, my beloved Wompoo fruit dove!

Immersed in the landscape, paintbox in hand and brush dripping with water, I am in my happy place. Drawn to the sounds of nature, the insects and birds that hum and call to one-another around me, their spontaneous rhythms calm and soothe. Scribing with pencil and masking fluid, I record this song or witnessed flight path, capturing the essence of that moment. Back in the studio, I have worked to create unique bird signatures for sightings seen or heard en plein air. Using their plumage as a colour palette, their movements create form and their song transcribe is by line.