Green Woodpecker in Flight is a painting that conveys this noisy and colourful bird in flight one hazy summer day.
Commonly known as a Yaffler, the green woodpecker likes to peck around in grassland looking for tasty morsels in the form of insects, molluscs and worms. Their noisy, comical call carries across the fields alerting you to their presence. But this shy bird will usually be on the wing and heading for cover by the time you see it.
This painting is the result of the few times I’ve been quick enough to spot the woody in flight and sometimes even on the ground. Seeing the subject you want to paint in real life helps you to capture its character. Those encounters with Green Woodpeckers enabled me to get valuable reference to take back to my art studio.
This work was exhibited at the Society of Wildlife Artist’s annual ‘Nature’s Eye’ exhibition at Mall Galleries in 2023.

Original Oil on Linen
24.5 x 30 inch, 62 x 76 cm framed