This painting caused a dilemma for me because I wanted to maintain the abstract qualities of the previous work but I had to depict a recognisable likeness of the oystercatchers. I did try to keep the painting of the birds as loose as I dared but even so the process was quite inhibiting. Therefore, I decided to add an element of splatter to the work as a compensation. The background was lifted from the previous painting of Bodenham Lakes. In constructing the reflections I discovered that in real life they are not a true mirror image (created by flipping the original vertically) but the reflected image in this case is that of view looking up from below the birds. I proved this by creating perspective lines from a single vanishing point.

Oystercatcher – background information from Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

 The new islands were created from an old roadway used to access the different gravel pits, known locally as “the spit”. The islands were created with ground nesting birds such as oystercatcher and little ringed plover in mind, as nesting on the island provides an extra level of protection from land-based predators. The new islands have reduced tree cover allowing the parent birds to spot predators approaching the nest. The muddy margins are also perfect for oystercatcher to feed on worms and insects.

Less than a year after island works were completed two oystercatcher chicks hatched at Bodenham Lake, these were the first chicks to have ever hatched at Bodenham Lake, and the parents went on to breed again in 2021. Across the UK oystercatcher are declining in number, and they are listed on the Amber list of Birds of Conservation Concern. oystercatcher breeding at Bodenham Lake has been a real success story for the project and we are delighted that they have been captured so beautifully in this painting.