Darrell Underschultz The Songbird Series
A few thoughts about my songbird paintings
The work I create is largely informed by the natural world and the respect I have for the environment. While I don’t consider myself to be a wildlife artist, I cannot deny the fascination I have with birds. I’m drawn to their vulnerability and strangeness, their peculiar movements, textures and colours. For myself, birds are the ultimate archetypal symbol of freedom and a limitless source of artistic inspiration.
The songbird series can be seen as a dialogue between the past and the present.
The paintings reference the work of historical artists such as Audubon, and may feel nostalgic, but are contemporary in their approach and materials. Machine manufactured pigments and plastic resins taking the place of traditional oils and watercolours.
My painting process is both intuitive and methodical, a balancing act of orderly and expressive elements. After a simple compositional sketch, I begin with an underpainting to define form, shadow and light. Using loose gestural marks, this underpainting is built upon, layer by layer using a combination of opaque pigment and transparent glazes. The surface becoming an exploration of subtle texture and colour. Areas are often sanded away to reveal the layers of brushwork beneath, creating different visual textures and sections that appear abstracted. Background elements, such as foliage, will usually emerge from these layered, abstract passages. I find that keeping some elements in the painting somewhat intangible keeps the focus on the birds themselves, exposing their character and story.
Any remaining detail work is kept to a minimum and added near the end of the painting process, the work becoming less concerned with realistic representation and more about revealing the essence of the subject.