Five more artworks that were all created from macro photographs of the same old metal gate. It is a painted gate in front of a private house where the original paint, graffiti, and more paint to cover the graffiti have been weathered away to reveal some wonderful details of patterns and textures in overlaid layers.
From a distance the gate is an eyesore but for anyone willing to give it a chance and lean in close there are whole new worlds hiding in the paint's cracks and flakes. And this process of weathering is a kind of reclamation that produces scenes reminiscent of wildness.
I spent about twenty minutes taking photographs of this gate with the owner's dogs barking at me from the other side, and then several days turning some of them into wildlife artworks. This is the second installment with two more still to come.
This little project of creating a set of wildlife artworks from this one gate became an exercise in finding the right balance between the wildlife that I add and the weathered patterns that nature created from that old metal gate. The ideal for me is wildlife that stands out but is believably part of the background whilst still leaving lots of room for the viewer to explore and appreciate the surprising beauty that can be found in urban decay.
Here is the second set of five pictures I created, again with the original photograph of each for comparison, and also simply as examples of the wonderful abstract world of weathering.
Stoat with Mouse
I look at this and wonder what the stoat is doing. It has already caught a mouse so it is not hunting. Perhaps it is taking the meal back to a den for its kits or has it just heard something in all that rocky jumble but, if so, is it a threat or another opportunity? There may not be a lot of action here but there is a lot going on and for me a scene like this holds so much potential.
Stalking Heron
The green paint here gave me the feeling of a dripping wetland so a heron seemed an obvious choice. Cautiously coming down a slope into a ditch where the fish and frogs thrive, it feels like a secret world where any movement from me would burst the heron into flight and send the lesser life into hiding. So I hold my breath and stay still.
Winter Wolf
The yellow glow in the sky cannot detract from the cold in this image. But that wolf looks so at home. I bet it knows all the cracks and flakes in its territory. All the little rusty patches and the odours of who has passed by.
Terns Over
I love the simplicity of the terns' reflections in this picture. It gives the image a focal point to return to after wandering around all that peeling paintwork. It also makes me wonder what lies below that flaky paint and what else is floating the skies above.
Sunset Wader
I am sure this wading bird is a dunlin but I am not sure whether the colour in its beach comes from the sunset sky or something more sinister in the wash of the tide.
And here is the ugly old gate itself (with one of the owner's dogs checking me out)...
These artworks and others are available as digital downloads through my Patreon page.
