27 BUZZARDS

This piece features 27 vulture heads spread across three canvasses, each 150x100cm. The heads are based on video frames that I captured at a falconry in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

To begin with, I prepared the video frames on Photoshop and drew the outlines onto each canvas with the aid of a projector. I then used multiple layers of acrylic paint mixed with a blending agent to achieve a very smooth, even finish - recalling Warhol's multiple prints of Marilyn Monroe, in a different medium.

I was interested in tempering the bright, acid colours with darker hues and various shades of grey. The idea was to create a sense of movement across the static rectangles, presenting a symphony of colour that would draw the eye and create an immersive viewing experience from an appropriate distance. Each canvas took three-four months to complete, so this project was about a year in the making.

The inspiration for the paintings came from this piece of video I put together, based on footage I shot of the vulture. Having selected a number of video sequences which revealed the bird's head from various angles, I created copies that I arranged in a Warhol-esque manner, with subtle colour gradations. For the paintings, I chose three angles of rotation to work with - looking left, right and straight-on.

Considered as-a-whole, this is a fine example of one creative medium feeding into another in a way that was not at all planned from the outset, which yielded some interesting results that would not have been arrived at any other way.

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Considered as-a-whole, this is a fine example of one creative medium feeding into another in a way that was not at all planned from the outset, which yielded some interesting results that would not have been arrived at any other way.