Spiders & Birds

Birds

Feliz de existir (happy to be) | Guillermo Coll
Feliz de existir (happy to be) (Kingfisher)

Birds have always been a recurrent subject in Art mainly due to their beauty and because they symbolise so many different things. One way or another, these appear in paintworks done by the major painters from Durer to Picasso; considered as a mere technical exercise in both religious and still-life paintings or being either an excuse to capture the essence of movement or a way to experience shapes and colours. 

In the 19th century a whole generation of naturalist painters, more particularly, British and American ones, showed great interest in scientific rigour. This school of art is still in use as there are so many artists fond of birds’ painting. Nevertheless, we absolutely need to point out that featuring birds with a certain degree of accuracy involves a great technical challenge.

Bird picture | Guillermos Coll
(Untitled) 50 x 23cm. Mixed technique on board
Bird picture | Guillermos Coll
(UNTITLED), 40 x 37-cm, Oil on canvas
Bird picture | Guillermos Coll
KANJI, Oil on board, 40x37cm
Bird picture | Guillermos Coll
WINTER, Oil on board, 40x37-cm
WINTER bird
(UNTITLED) 40 x 37-cm Oil on canvas

Spiders

I am either terrified and fascinated by spiders, they seem to have been given a certain degree of inteligence we are not able to understand. They also are the epitome of industriosity and patience along with refined cruelty and insured waiting. Our society has been referring to spiders from early ages of mankind so these appear in all times and all cultures : cave paintings, bas-relief, tools and decoration items… even our language refers to spiders. They seem to be a constant source of inspiration for both  literature and cinema or even for fine arts and industrial design. Everything related to spiders seems to be fond of symbology like the the complicated circular fabric made by knitting species, one of the most stunning beauties in natural world.

ARAÑITA (Tiny Spider)
ARAÑITA (Tiny Spider) Oil on board 30 x 25-cm
Lo nuestro es imposible | Guillermo Coll
Lo nuestro es imposible (impossible love). Mixed technique on board, 42 x 40 cm
Pequeño gótico (small gothic) | Guillermo Coll
Pequeño gótico (small gothic). Mixed technique on board, 27 x 27 cm
Leucauge venusta | Guillermo Coll
Leucauge venusta. Pencil on paper, 17.2 x 12.5-cm
Estudio (study) | Guillermo Coll
Estudio (study). Charcoal and pencil on paper, 8.6 x 14-cm
Estudio para pequeño gótico | Guillermo Coll
Estudio para “Pequeño gótico” (study for small gothic). Pencil on paper, 12.5 x 15-cm

All the images are copyright (c) 2022 by Guillermo Coll. All right reserved. Copy and distribution are forbidden