This little study of a bird was part of a series of 8 small drawings and several small paintings. Each was made in preparation for the large painting of the same name that featured in my solo exhibition: Once Upon A Time .

The drawings and colourful paintings of birds represented the phrase: ‘once upon a time’. They depicted different versions of a ‘time keeper’; an extra ordinary bird, not modelled on any particular species. Eventually I made them holding hour glasses in their beaks. You can see some of these currently in Small Paintings

Study 2 is an intricate pen ink drawing done on an unconventional paper material,  indicative of my eagerness at the time to sketch lots and come up with my design for the main, large scale painting.