Peek a boo: Tree Swallow

Normally I post sketches drawn right in the field, or at least out my window; but I decided to post this right away, partly to say 'thank you' to Kate (Cathy Johnson). I have a new fountain pen ... and Kate gets credit for my finally taking the plunge and ordering the pen of my dreams. I commented recently of the lovely lines in a simple tree she drew. She reminded me that a flexible nib makes all the difference. She has written some very helpful posts on the subject.

This little tree swallow is drawn from a photo we took in the Klamath Basin, Calif a spring or two ago. The birds were incubating. I watched from a distance for over an hour and was amazed at how often they changed places with each other. I assume they need to frequently take turns in oder to catch enough insects to keep their own reserves up ... or maybe they are just nervous Nellies. I know the babies hadn't hatched because no food was going in and no little poop sacs were coming out.

Drawn with a Pelikan xxxF nib customised for full flex by Richard Binder (www.richardspens.com) and Platinum Carbon ink. The pen is a joy! It takes a light touch to draw with. I tried a Noodler's flex pen first, but it seemed so stiff after working with good dip pens. A Gillott 290 dip nib behaves very much like this pen but the Gillott has a tad finer line and requires an open bottle of ink -- not handy for field sketching, but a whole lot cheaper!

For more about my pen saga, go to my blog: www.elvafieldnotes.blogspot.com