Symbolism in portraiture

I've made a start on the background of the portrait.  It may well change the overall values of the face, but I'll see once its in place and tweak as I go along.

I like symbolism in portraiture.  It makes a piece personal and gives the viewer a talking point as they try to interpret the symbols.  I rarely explain the symbols to others for exactly those reasons and because they are personal to both the sitter and to me as the artist.  Symbolism has been used in portraiture for hundreds of years.  Some of the most famous portraits of Queen Elizabeth I contained many symbols to represent her view of herself and her power and virtues to the world.

So these are the initial layers for the background which outline the drawings that I have placed there.  I don't want them to be focal points, but almost shadow images that the viewer has to examine closely and to decide if they are really there or just imagination.

This portrait is of my brother in law by the way, who I hope I don't perturb too much during this process.

Sales - when to have one

Over at my Etsy shop, I'm having a Half Price Holiday Sale on select necklaces created with semiprecious stones, sterling silver and other natural materials.  The sale will last until December 24th  - or until they all sell, whichever comes first! 

Like most artists, I usually have an inventory of stock, in my case consisting of paintings, drawings and jewelry.  So when do I decide that its time to have a sale to encourage people to buy and to make room for me to produce more? 

Length of exposure is a strong factor.   If a piece has been around for awhile and hasn't generated a lot of interest it can go back into stock or can be reworked into a new piece.

Orphan work.  By this I mean something that isn't part of my general style of work or theme and as a result becomes a stand alone piece.  This can be good or bad depending on whether it catches someone's eye or not.  If not, then off it goes to tempt someone with  a sale price.

Lack of storage space.  When my studio shelves and storage areas are getting full, I know its time to make some things available at a reduced cost.

New projects looming.  When I have ideas for a series of pieces or want to experiment with new media or supports, I need a clean slate to help that happen.  Moving old stock out to make way for new is always a good reason for a sale.

Encourage new clients.  A sale is often the introduction of a new buyer to the purchase of original works and can be the making a long relationship between artist and buyer.

So go and browse.  Perhaps you'll find something there that tempts you or may be the temptation of someone else.

Meanwhile, this little pup is slowly coming together.  Time is against me in the lead up to Christmas, but as of tomorrow I'm off work for two weeks, then I can catch up again.

Portrait update

Time for a quick portrait update inbetween turkey sales.

I'm still building layers on this piece and its starting to get some depth now.  The pointillistic approach that I have taken for the last few portraits seems to give more life to the skin tones.  Except in the very young, there is rarely a smooth tone to the skin. Colour variances and shading show the bluish thinner layer of skin over bony areas, while areas with more flesh have pinker tones to them.

I'm still struggling with decisions over a background.  Inspiration isn't happening on this one.  I have ideas rolling around but nothing is gelling right now. Technically I should have completed the background first, as it will likely change the values in the portrait.  However, I'll deal with that when the time comes.

Down on the farm...

Last night and today all the Christmas turkeys went to the processor. Tomorrow they will return and be picked up by their new owners. Now there's no one left in the barn except BD and Lucky, the duck who survived a mink and and owl attack.  What else could the poor little fellow be called??

These turkeys are about 15 weeks old and there are some large birds this year.  There is no reliable method of determining the final weight of a bird, only the length of time they are kept and when you can get into the queue at the processor's. Temperature also plays a role and if the weather is colder, the birds expend more energy in heat production and less in growing.  Up until the last week or so, the temperatures have been mild.   There are still a few turkeys available if anyone needs one.  Sorry, no shipping, farm gate only.

The birds are raised as naturally as possible, even if they are inside.  The weather is too harsh and there are too many predators to safely raise Christmas turkeys outside in Newfoundland. I always feel sad when they go, but know they've had as good a life as can be provided with enough food, water, clean pens, radio and ball games. Yes, they are party animals in the true sense...

Meanwhile back in the studio, thoughts of a wintry sea took over inspired by sketches at a local beach then a crop of one of those waves executed in watercolour as twilight settled over the scene.  You can read more about it, see the beach sketch and read a story of shipwrecks and phantom dog heroes at Watermarks.

Updates

 

I've made a little more progress on the portrait that I started the other night.  I've added additional layers, but they are still quite light and I haven't really started pushing the shadows yet.  It seems that the only time I can make progress is very early morning or at night.  The time inbetween, even when I'm not working, is consumed with other tasks that take my time away from creating.

Here's a closer view for those who like to examine the layers in greater detail.  Lots of people have a bit of anxiety when drawing glasses, but I quite enjoy them.  Most eyeglasses these days have non-reflective lenses in them so there isn't a lot of external reflections that mask the eye shape or colour.  If the shape of the glasses is correct, then it all falls into place, very much like a puzzle.

I'm working on a couple of pieces at once as I often do.  I like being able to keep in painting mode so while one dries, I move to the other.  As long as its the same medium, it seems to work out well.  I also have sketchbooks scattered around the house so when I get a moment, I make little thumbnail sketches of things that interest me.

I'm working on a drawing tutorial that I hope to have available by Christmas Eve.  I haven't produced one for awhile and have had the makings of it kicking around for months.  I came across it the other day and thought it was time to complete it and make it available.  Here's a little teaser of where it is so far.

I find the hardest part of creating a tutorial is putting into words what I do without thinking.  And remembering to scan pieces regularly as I get so caught up in the process of drawing, it moves ahead more quickly than I realize.

Glimpses of winter

Snow squalls happened on and off during the day.  Late this afternoon the sky was heavy with snow, with glimpses of yellow, pink, and pale blue as the sun started to set.

I started pulling out some Christmas decorations and found them good fodder for practicing with my camera.  I was focusing on a mountain ash tree in the garden and caught the lights of one of the window decorations.  I like how the camera created the perfectly round shapes out of focus and pulled the berries on the tree into focus.  I still have so much to learn with this camera.

A ceramic angel lit by candlelight was my next experiment.  Shutter speeds are still something I need to practice and this image isn't as clear as I like.  When in doubt, read the manual....

As the afternoon closed in, juncos gathered at the bird feeder to stock up for the winter night ahead.  Such funny little quarrelsome birds.  Its nigh on to impossible to take a good photo of them as they move so fast and so much.  I caught this little fellow perched on the hop vines by the thermometer.

Portraits and technology

Last night I sketched the next portrait and started adding some colour.  I still need a background for this and haven't quite decided what it will be.  I have some thoughts floating around but there is no 'aha' moment yet.  As the painting develops as well as the background a title may come to mind. I should have a better image tomorrow as I'll have some decent natural light.  Well, provided it doesn't snow too much.

This piece is done on a half sheet of 300lb arches paper.  I'm waiting for more of this paper to turn up as I got a good deal on a mailorder price.  Everyone else must think so too, as its backordered.

I've been setting up a new printer tonight.  I had an early Christmas gift of an Epson Artisan 810 that virtually stands on its head and spits nickels.  The reviews of this printer are excellent and I haven't found anyone to say anything bad about it so far.  It has a six color process (Black, Cyan, Light Cyan, Magenta, Light Magenta, Yellow) and with the appropriate paper, produces the artistic, “giclée” level prints that Epson’s higher-end inkjets have built their reputation on.  And its wireless technology so I can lose some of my spagetti junction in the studio.


I just need to figure it all out, one function at a time.

One complete. Many more in the wings

 
I was up before the snow flew this morning and finished off the tiny watercolour portrait that I started last night.  I don't think I could work on this scale for long periods and its a lot more challenging that you first think.  I seem to want to fill the space and over run it, fearing that I'll never get it all in, which I usually don't.

I am starting a drawing for a new portrait.  I have the face blocked in, but need to work out a background now and that may take a little research.  It will be another watercolour on 300lb Arches paper. I always feel a surge of excitement starting a new piece.  There is something amazing to see a face appear out of a sheet of white paper.

I also played around with some photos using old-but-new blocks that I ordered after seeing some of Neil Hollingsworth's paintings using them.  I asked him where he found the blocks and he let me know, so I ordered some of  these rather sweet reproductions for myself.  I just need to get some natural light to paint or draw them.  The mornings are too dark to see a thing before I head to work.

I have so many ideas in my head and they sometimes come out in a jumble with projects and pieces all vying for attention.  One at a time.  Mostly.

A handful

 

I wanted to draw or paint something tonight, but didn't know what.  I've finished a few projects and commissions and find that I have a bit of a lull after that, as if my brain and body slow down for awhile. But I still needed to create something.  Funny how there's something inside that insists on certain actions.  Probably similar to the same voice that makes you get out of bed for ice cream at 3am.

I browsed through images that I have and came across a photo of Geoff Meeker.  Geoff is an independent communications consultant and writes a blog, Meeker on Media, that is published in The Telegram.   I know Geoff on Facebook and had asked him awhile back if I could use this image that was on his profile there.  I liked the lighting and the colours that the computer screen he was facing reflected back onto the skin.

So this is a tiny version of Geoff that I started tonight.  Its artist trading card size 3.5 x 2.5 in watercolour on Strathmore cold press.  I thought I'd show the initial sketch as well as where I am so far. I have the base layers of colour and shape in, I just need to clean up edges and intensify the shadows.  At this size, watercolour pencils come in handy for the details, as I never seem to have a lot of luck with those teeny tiny brushes with two hairs on them.  They frustrate more than satisfy.

But that will have to wait til tomorrow. For now, a little knitting of a cowl, then some sleep. With more snow predicted, it will make the drive to work interesting no doubt.

29 years later

Today marks 29 years since John Lennon was fatally shot outside his apartment in New York City.  There was stunned silence around the world, then outrage, then sadness that one of the world's most talented musicians was silenced forever.

While most people think of Lennon as part of the Beatles and the amazing musician that he was, his first love was art and he did attend art school at the Liverpool  Art Institute for three years (1957-1960). His primary medium was line drawing which became illustrations for three books that he published in the 1960s.  Lennon originally created a portfolio of drawings in 1969 which he entitled "Bag One". These drawings depicted John and Yoko's wedding and honeymoon and he presented them to her as a wedding gift. The Bag One suite represents the only hand signed prints available by John Lennon.

His music lives on.  His art lives on.  Isn't that something we all hope for?  A little piece of ourselves as a legacy to the world.

Experiments and snow

An experiment on Myrna Wacknov's blog, Creativity Journey, inspired me to try it myself.  Myrna was trying watercolours on regular printer photographic paper and I just had to join in the fun.  The slick surface has similarities to yupo, in that it doesn't sink into the paper, but pools on the surface.  You definitely need a loose style to work on this and I enjoyed trying to create a face on the surface. 

I love the way the paints run into each other depending on how much water I use or pigment.  I may go back into this with some inks to add definition or perhaps add another medium to it.  With a big box of photographic paper from a large box store, it gives me an economical way to experiment with the surface.

Yesterday was a day full of snow.  Today was a day full of snow clearing.   This is my little car sitting in 16 inches of snow waiting to be dug out this morning.  The snow on the window made me think times when artificial 'snow' in a can was used to decorate windows inside years ago when I was in the UK.  I guess I don't need that effect here do I?

Rocky the Crow

Relief printing is the third medium that I've tried using the Terraskin paper and Rocky the Crow is the result of the experiment.

I found a small piece of soft cut block which is heaven to carve and doesn't hurt my hand.  I then sketched a crow sillouette and branch onto the block.  Using Amie Roman's advice about carving out the crow and tree instead of leaving them as the relief worked beautifully on black paper, but of course on the off white surface of the Terraskin, it becomes reversed with an albino crow.

Terraskin doesn't absorb ink the same way as regular paper would and with its slicker surface, burnishing blurred the image.  I found more success with saturating the block with ink then plopping it onto the terraskin and using the pressure of my hand only, leaning into it to apply the image to the surface.  Even then, I can't get a crisp image with the block.

With the first blurred image, I thought I would try washing the ink off the surface, as can be done with Yupo.  A lot of the ink did wash away, but there is a shadow left that makes the piece unusable unless gessoed....another element for another experiment perhaps.

So I did a quick print on black paper to get the desired effect of black crow.  I didn't test first to get a really good print, but the general idea is there.  I will work more on some good prints of this image.

The results of this experiment?  Terraskin isn't going to work well for printing from what I've seen so far.  However, I think it is worth playing with more to see what other effects can be achieved with it in the print world.  Never say never.

They're here

...but may not be for long, as they're going fast.

I received the cards and prints of the Merry Christmas Hares and Purity Kisses back from the printer today and they are up in my Etsy shop for sale now. 

In addition to packs of three cards, you can also buy the cards singly.  I have produced limited numbers of 8 x 10 prints in both the hares and kisses and some 12 x 18 prints of the kisses.

I have no time tonight to play with my rock paper so it will have to wait til tomorrow sometime.  I have a board meeting in the morning, but Sunday looks like it will be a snow day 10 - 30cm forecast!  Perfect for some painting and digging out Christmas decorations.

Rocky the Puppy

 
This is my second experiment using different media on the TerraSkin paper. This sketch is the start of a puppy using coloured pencils - Derwent Coloursoft in this case.  I suppose I should really use the same subject for each test, but that never appeals much so I'm varying them.  After all, its about the paper's reaction to media, not subject or colour values.

So what's the verdict?  The pencils apply smoothly to the surface of the paper and I'm using a light pressure to avoid applying too much pigment to the surface and overloading it.  I think that TerraSkin acts similarly to drafting film but with a bit more tooth to it but opaque, not translucent.  I will still be careful in what colours I apply and how they are applied, as I know I can easily reach saturation point without achieve the depth that I want.

As with drafting film, you can erase coloured pencil down to the white again  on this paper without damaging the surface - always a bonus in cp work! 

Rocky the Snowman

My TerraSkin paper arrived yesterday and I cut up one of the sheets to give it a little test run without committing myself to a large painting.  This is the resulting image, perhaps another Christmas card in the making?  What else could he be called but Rocky??

This paper is created from >75% mineral powder with <25% non toxic resin to hold it together. This produces an environmentally friendly paper. It is reported to be multimedia paper and similar to 385lb watercolour paper.   I bought half a dozen half sheets to play with as I didn't know if I'd like it or not.  However, it was very economically priced compared to what I usually pay for 300lb Arches.

The paper is substantially and feels like 300lb paper in terms of weight but has the smooth surface of Yupo and behaves similarly to that support but not as slippery.  TerraSkin is exquisite to draw on and erases beautifully without marking the surface.  The manufacturer claims that because it is fibreless it doesn't absorb ink as traditional paper does, therefore using 25% to 30% less ink when printing or drawing and doesn't bleed.

My test on this paper wasn't thorough or scientific.  I simply sketched out my subject and then used watercolour to build layers.  The resulting impressionistic image works for me and I do find the characteristics of TerraSkin similar to a subdued Yupo.   I will try a graphite drawing on it next and then some pen and ink, as well as coloured pencil to see how it performs before I give it a thumbs up or down.

From a purely environmental perspective, I think its a superb product and after reading about some of the woes of the paper industry, it may well be a support of the future.  MOMA uses TerraSkin for their consumer packaging now, leading the way into the future.

Design and Source say:

TerraSkin has 2 end of life options available, it is infinitely recyclable(with proper infrastructure or take-back programs) as well as degradable,when left out in nature for approximately three to nine months.

 TerraSkin is very versatile and can be used in multiple paper and paperboard applications as well as thermoformed items.It can be embossed or hot-stamped and is also FDA approved for direct food contact.

 In 2007 TerraSkin was awarded the Silver Cradle to Cradle certification by MBDC. www.TerraSkin.com

Crow

Its time to create another lino print and this may be it.  I have played around with an image of a crow and tree, breaking it down to its simplest components, yet still have it recognizable.  I was inspired by one of Amie Roman's prints of a crow and thought I'd try my hand at  producing something along the same lines.

With a piece of soft-kut I will try carving this.  Regular 'battleship grey' lino even when heated seems to cause problems with my forefinger so the soft kut should be easier to carve with less pressure on my hand.

Oh the joys of getting older...

Indecision and decision

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Well my dears, indecision still grips me in some ways, even with your help at hand.  A couple of weeks ago I posted a number of paintings that I wanted to turn into greeting cards and have decided on some but  demands on my time has put a slow down on the process.

For now I can't give a final decision on which will be printed, however, initially the fish appeal to me and the water.  Local demand bent to Purity Kisses and the Merry Christmas Hares for the immediate print process, however, I have done some test prints of other cards on my current printer.

I have a new printer on order - and Epson Artisan 810 which should allow me to print higher quality images for small volume card numbers.

So, to be fair, I have decided to send my first pick of three as well as on of the Christmas Hare cards to a randomly chosen person who posted on the previous thread.  I used a random number generator and, excluding my own name in the posts, was given the number 16, which translates into Amie Roman. of Burnishings.  Just email me your mailing address Amie and I'll send the cards to you as soon as possible.

To everyone else, thank you so much for participating.  Using this blog as a sounding board and receiving input is so vital to me.  I know what appeals to people and why through conversations and feedback.

Experiments

A Christmas parade prevented me from getting back to the churchyard to get more photos today, so I'll save that for another time.

Meanwhile I've been experimenting with an image for another seasonal card, both in sketch form and digitally.  I'm considering animal themes, especially those indigenous to the island and putting a twist into them, part fantasy, part reality.

Here's the sketch of an idea that I have so far and then a digital version above.  I am considering a lino print of it as well and see what works out best. I like being able to play digitally as it provides so many possibilities and ideas that I can move forward with.

Winter sketches

I've done a little sketching lately, mostly while sitting in the car as either wind or rain prevents me from venturing out. Scenes constantly flash before me as I drive from place to place, wishing I'd taken the camera with me usually.  Or I see something when I'm in a long line of slow moving traffic.  I dare not pull off the road and try to get a sketch or shot as it would take forever to get back into the stream again. 

But on weekends I sometimes manage to find time and less traffic and take the camera and sketchbook with me.  Today, I did some shopping downtown which in St. John's is always a challenge in terms of parking, but more interesting than a sterile mall.  On the way back I stopped to pick up T.O.O. (the other one) in my favourite haunt, the Anglican Cathedral church yard.  He had gone to find any remaining conkers from the trees there. 

The cemetery is reported to be the oldest in the city, going back to the 1600s.  Most of the gravestones are long gone, having toppled over and nature reclaimed them.   There is a monument there and I stopped for a little while to do a sketch of it.  I will try to get back there tomorrow and get some photos of it.  I'm not sure what it stands for - perhaps a later tribute to those who died or some particular family in the city.

I love old churchyards and cemeteries.  They are an artist's paradise in terms of inspiration, especially in winter when the colours are muted and the sillouettes of trees against the sky are dramatic. This church, while smack dab in the centre of the city, links to the past and makes you forget the present while you're visiting.

Faces

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Lately my oil painting skills just aren't working for me.   I started a portrait last week and seem to scrub and paint and scrub and paint til finally I think I'm going to let it sit for awhile and revert to watercolour or even dry media.

This week has been crazy busy and perhaps the busyness has something to do with my inability to paint well.  I do find that distractions do put their footprint on what I try to do creatively.  Switching media often helps me see something in a new light.  So here's a sketch I did at lunchtime today, a different pose slightly, of the same woman, and tomorrow I'll transfer it onto watercolour paper and see what happens.

I've been filling up my last Moleskine with faces.  Sometimes sketchbooks fall into different genres.  I have one all completed in red ink, another devoted to animals and now people.  Nothing I do in sketchbooks is done with purpose - or rarely.  It seems that something just guides me in a particular direction - or I let myself be guided.

This sketch was done on a plane of a previous portrait that I was doing for a portrait swap.  I'm still not 100% pleased with the original outcome of the piece I did and may have a do-over as this sketch, done with no pressure, has more of a likeness than the original.

Ahhhhhh, how the brain and hand work or don't work in harmony sometimes...

Merry Christmas Hares - finished

I'm flitting between several projects at once as is my usual style.  Ideas jump in and out of my head and I like to have the option of working on alternate pieces.  When one starts to frustrate or while I wait for something to dry, I can move on to the next piece.

Tonight I finished the Christmas Hares and am happy with the final outcome.  I will work on some prints and cards from it so stay tuned.  I just need more time in my days and more money in my bank account!

Then on to finish a dog commission.  Funny, however many commissions you do, there is always the lump in the throat feeling, waiting to see a reaction.  I sent an update on what I had done so far and it came back positively last night, so I can breathe again.  I will send the little dog off to its owner next week and concentrate on others in the wings.

Christmas Hares

I have been considering creating a Christmas card and various ideas float around in sketchbooks.  I wanted it to be round, part reality, part fantasy.  A late night sketch of a Newfoundland hare and thoughts of a winter night made this marriage.

There are no rabbits in Newfoundland, but hares, arctic and snowshoe hares which were introduced in the mid 1800s to help feed the population.  These are large animals and are prone to fight in the spring which looks like little boxing matches and they take jabs at each other.  The classic 'mad as a March hare'.  I love the shape of hares and wanted to capture that sense of movement and shape and mimic the circular form.

This piece is watercolour on 300lb Arches paper and is about 8 inches in diameter. There is still some tweaking to do and a decision around what little thing to add to make this say 'Christmas'.

My laptop is now covered in little white dots of ink from the spattering. Note to self:  Move pieces off the main table to spatter them!

Elephant poop and sketches

I just put in an order for some paper from my regular mail order company.  While I can get a lot of basic supplies here, pricing tends to be more expensive here and bargains can be had along with unique finds in art materials.

Today I found tree-less multimedia paper and ordered a few sheets to try out.

No priming is needed as this paper doesn't buckle, and makes an ideal surface for oils, acrylics, charcoal, pencil, pen & ink, watercolour & more. 

Terraskin is made from 75% mineral powder (ground calcium carbonate or limestone) combined with 25% non-toxic resin. Tree-free, this paper uses no water or bleach during manufacturing.

This 348 lb paper feels similar to a 300 lb watercolour sheet, but is not as stiff as it does not contain any sizing.

There are quite a number of tree-free papers available it seems, including elephant poop, yep, the real thing.  Odorless and bacteria free.  Don't think I want to make that kind of paper. However, its a logical progression seeing that the diet of elephants, like horses or cows is predominantly grasses or other woody matter.

An additional link to more hand made papers is here.

Green Living Tips points to a number of varieites to look out for:

Bagasse - the pulp that remains after extracting juice from sugar cane.

Mango - Mango paper is usually from Thailand. It is made from kozo (paper mulberry) and mango leaf.

Banana - Made from waste bark of banana tree which is cut after the bananas have been ripened.

Cotton - Can be made from old cotton rags, clothing and general cotton waste

Jute - you've probably seen jute twine; usually brownish in color and quite coarse. It can also be made into  high-quality writing and specialty papers

Elephant poop - yes, you read it right, poop - but it's bacteria free and odor free :).

Hemp - Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was the owner of a mill that made hemp paper and that Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on paper made of hemp? Hemp has somewhat of a undeserved general reputation; but industrial hemp is an incredibly useful plant. 

Straw - as straw fibers are very similar to wood fibers, it makes an excellent paper. Oddly enough, the USA was once the largest producer of straw for paper making; but the industry no longer exists.

Tamarind -  contain petals and leaves from tamarind tree

Coconut - the husks of coconuts were usually discarded, but the fiber is now being used to create paper with a thick texture

However, I digress.  I was going to subject you to a glimpse of the contents of my head before I go to sleep at night.  Or perhaps during the night too sometimes.   Most nights before I sleep, I draw in my sketchbook.  These drawings can be snippets of anything, rather like a notebook for ideas, or notations about dreams.  Most come from somewhere in my head and have no references, simply memory to go by.  Others start out as a photo in a magazine, then morph from there.

These are a few that arrived over the last couple of weeks.  Some have futures, their thumbnail forms rough and strange. Some are destined to be trapped in the sketchbook forever.

Moving ahead

I've been doing some marketing with my art over the last few months and its starting to pay off now.

I have one of my pieces accepted into the Provincial Art Bank which I'm very pleased about.  This provides a showcase for my work to a broader audience.  Pieces are displayed on a rotating basis throughout government and government related education buildings around the province and may be displayed at times in the provincial art gallery at The Rooms.

I've used a free public advertisement service to promote animal portraits and contacts have been good from that source.  You take a chance when doing this but I created special offer for the holiday season and that seems to bring out collectors and commissions.

Finally, I had dinner tonight a St. John's restaurant that displays art from local artists in its rooms.  I asked about displaying there and was told they're interested in new artists and charge no commission for sales.  I will be setting up a meeting to show some of my art there I think.

With every marketing piece that I do it has a fear and pleasure aspect to it.  Like many artists, marketing myself becomes a daunting task, but as with all things, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.  There is always a risk of rejection, but you take the punches with the good times.  Lately, the good times are becoming more frequent.

I still haven't had a lot of time to play with my new camera, but this image at the top of the post was taken early one morning this week with a telephoto lens. It is a Northern Flicker which frequents the birdfeeder outside the dining room window now that it is stocked with suet cakes.  I think this is one of this seasons 'babies' as it seems rather round and a bit small.  I love the colouring and markings on these birds and occasionally they wake me by drumming on the side of the house.  That, I'm not so keen on.