Finishing 'Crested Pigeons'

I love early morning watercolour painting. And this particular painting now, whatever will happen with it, will remind me of a wonderful weekend spent sharing skills and experiences with other artists. I am using a new ceramic palette given to me by one student, it is working wonderfully.

Sketches of the Birds of Banks Street Reserve and 'Wild Impressions' Exhibition

After two years of visiting Banks Street Reserve, a beautiful urban park at only five kilometres from the Brisbane city, I felt like starting a series of small-size watercolour sketches about the birds I can see there. Starting with an Eastern Spinebill and a White-browed Scrubwren.

I am very excited to be part of this coming exhibition in Brisbane with the Queensland Wildlife Artists Society, I will be demonstrating on the Sunday afternoon. 

For those of you who are on Instagram, you can now follow my artwork and photography there too! I post some material that does not get share anywhere else like some of my best photos taken after my birding outings.

Double-barred Finches - Indian Yellow - The Holmes Art Prize for Realistic Australian Bird Art

August Dry (Double-barred Finches) Handmade watercolour on Khadi handmade watercolour paper, 30 x 42cm, © Matteo Grilli

I was visiting a popular birding spot in Brisbane, Oxley Creek Common, on a very dry August day, a small flock of Double-barred Finches was busy finding food on the path and on the dry grasses nearby.

Indian Yellow makes a wonderful primary yellow, it leans towards orange in thick applications while it becomes a lemony yellow in light tints and washes. The Indian Yellow I make mixes beautifully with Prussian Blue for very natural greens or with Madder Red Deep for muted oranges, and Carmine for bright oranges and reds. It is staining and only lifts to a degree. Find it on Etsy.

One of my watercolours (Summer's End - Chestnut-breasted Mannikins) was selected as a finalist together with 34 more artists for the Holmes Art Prize for Realistic Australian Bird Art 2019, all the amazing artworks will be exposed at Mary Cairncross Reserve, Maleny until October 13.

Eastern Spinebill

Eastern Spinebill, 30 x 42 cm, Handmade watercolour on Khadi paper, © Matteo Grilli

The Eastern Spinebill is one of my favourite birds, I particularly like its colours and pattern, I believe the three primary colours making up the plumage of this bird represent the prefect palette for me. A Subdued blue and red and an earthy yellow. A minimal palette for this winter visitor in Brisbane, this bird in particular was seen at Gold Creek Reservoir, a favourite Birding place for me.

Sketchbook showing palette tests.

I would like to invite you to visit my new blog on the bird-life of Banks Street Reserve, a place I regularly visit for bird watching. At the end of 2017 I decided to adopt Banks Street Reserve as my birding patch. Living only at five minutes drive and only cycled by the creek a few times years ago, I had a feeling the place may have held some surprises. So my New Year resolution for 2018 was to visit Banks Street Reserve at least once a week. Surprising it was indeed... 

Mulga Parrot

I completed this painting of a male Mulga Parrot during the Australia Wild 2018 exhibition last month at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. It reminds me of an amazing trip to the beautiful dry inland Australia, Alice Springs and surrounding areas. I love the rough texture of this Khadi handmade watercolour paper.

Mulga Parrot, 30 x 42 cm, Handmade watercolour on Khadi paper, © Matteo Grilli

Australia Wild 2018 Exhibition

Australia Wild 2018  exhibition has been a great success, we had many visitors and it was such a pleasure to meet other artists, share their processes as well as meeting the public and answering all their questions. I was told more than once how my work was an inspiration to some, which I found flattering and I felt very thankful for it.

The Pale-headed Rosella watercolour was awarded the People's Choice Award and all but one of my paintings sold. 

I had lots of fun while demonstrating, here is an unfinished Mulga Parrot.

Thank you to the Queensland Wildlife Artists Society members and volunteers and to all the visitors from the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens.

Summer's End - Chestnut-breasted Mannikins and Handmade Watercolours Video

Summer's End, handmade watercolours on Fabriano watercolour paper, 45 x 38 cm, 

© Matteo Grilli.

I painted most of this watercolour while demonstrating at the Logan Art Gallery during my last exhibition. A the end of summer, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins gather in large groups including all the young birds. I saw this family of five at Sandy Camp Road park on the eastern Brisbane suburb of Wynnum North.

This video shows how I make my handmade watercolour paints, I hope you enjoy:

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Shorebirds Banding

Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (Calidris acuminata, Piovanello siberiano) are only about 22 cm yet they accomplish a very long migration twice a year, every year. They spend the southern summer on Australia's mudflats and return to Siberia - northern Russia for the brief northern summer breeding season. They endure many threats during their long journey.

A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper's palette.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, handmade watercolours on Khadi handmade watercolour paper, 30 x 42 cm, © Matteo Grilli

In October last year I went volunteering during a bird-banding session in Manly, Brisbane organised by Birds Queensland and the Queensland Wader Study Group. The birds were caught with cannon-netting, measured, aged, ringed and banded and then released. Taking part in the process of banding migratory shorebirds has been a fantastic experience.

Lesser Sand Plover

Pacific Golden Plover

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Red-necked Stint

For all the artists and art lovers out there, I am running a promotion on my Etsy store at the moment, I am offering free postage for all orders above $30 until the end of June. This promotion includes my Artist's quality handmade watercolour paints.

All the best,

Matteo