"One For Sorrow" - The Magpie Series: A Joyful Artistic Journey

Welcome to the "One For Sorrow" Magpie Series, a captivating collection of bird paintings inspired by an unexpected encounter with seven magpies. This series began on a gloriously sunny September morning when I noticed these magnificent birds chattering in a tall tree opposite my lounge window.

For Paintings Collection: https://petermspencer.com/collections/one-for-sorrow

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As I gazed out from my second-floor window, I counted the magpies – five, six, no, seven – perched gracefully among the branches. Their presence instantly brought to mind the timeless nursery rhyme:

 

One For Sorrow

Two For Joy

Three For a Girl

Four for a Boy

Five For Silver

Six For Gold

Seven For a Secret Never To Be Told.

 

Mmmm! Curiosity piqued, I wondered about the secrets these magpies might be keeping. Their lively chatter and graceful flight sparked an idea for a new series of paintings, each capturing a line from the nursery rhyme. But I faced a dilemma: how could I portray "One For Sorrow" in a way that would still bring joy to viewers? I decided to proceed with just six paintings, omitting the sorrowful first line. Little did I know, the magpies had other plans!

The Magpie Gods however had other ideas!

Fast forward several months to November. I had taken a few reference photos of magpies but needed more to truly bring the series to life. The birds visited sporadically, making it challenging to gather enough material. Meanwhile, at my art club, the task was to create a painting in the Pointillism style. Using acrylics and cotton buds, I stumbled upon a poor-quality photo of a magpie. Despite its back being turned, the silhouette was stunning, and I saw the potential to enhance the bird's colourful feathers.

As I painted, I realized I had inadvertently created "One For Sorrow." This painting, depicting a solitary magpie perhaps waiting for a mate, became a colourful and engaging piece that would grace any wall. With this unexpected start, the series began to take shape.

 

One For Sorrow

 Painting the Series

Over the next seven months, I completed all seven paintings. The process wasn't linear; inspiration struck at different times for each piece. Each painting was created with oil on 24”x36” stretched canvas, featuring semi-abstract backgrounds that captured the mood and essence of the nursery rhyme. I chose to enhance the magpies' colours, showcasing vibrant blues and greens alongside their natural black and white.

To position the birds in each painting, I experimented by randomly scattering stones on paper, which helped conceptualize their arrangement. However, the most crucial part was capturing reference photos of magpies in various poses. This involved patiently waiting and photographing and sketching them during their springtime rituals, which provided the perfect material for my artwork.

 

Stones scattered on paper.

Magpie Flying away.

With reference photo’s I could now begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bringng Joy To Life

The first completed painting, "Two for Joy," quickly evolved with vibrant colours – a bright blue sky, glowing sunshine, and two magpies acknowledging each other in joyful recognition perhaps going through pre-mating rituals.

 

Two For Joy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Seven For A Secret" followed, with a composition that developed organically as I painted. The magpies' interactions hint at hidden mysteries, with one bird flying off into a hazy, misty backdrop, embodying the secret never to be told.

 

Seven For A Secret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other paintings in the series include:

 

• "Three For a Girl": Featuring a tender scene with a young magpie, representing innocence and beauty. Ideal for a nursery.
• "Four for a Boy": Showcasing a playful magpie, full of life and energy.
• "Five For Silver": Depicting a serene silver birch tree with a silver moon, evoking calm and reflection.
• "Six For Gold": Perhaps the most challenging, this piece uses a hexagram composition with six birds around a nest holding a golden egg, symbolizing the richness of life and nature.

Each painting in the series blends colour, composition, and emotion to bring the nursery rhyme to life in a joyful and engaging way.

 

Enjoy the Journey

Please enjoy exploring the "One For Sorrow" Magpie Series. Each painting is a labour of love, designed to bring joy and wonder to your space.

Contact me at peteonart@petermspencer.com to share your thoughts or inquire about the series. Prints are available for your pleasure. Thank you for joining me on this artistic journey!

 

Three For A Girl

 

A Predominantly Pinky Sky Soft gentle and serene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For For A Boy

 

A Dominant male at the top and

strong blues for colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five For Silver

The tree depicts a silver birch

with a silver moon in the background.

There is a sense of calm and tension

at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six For Gold

 

Probably the most difficult to get a reasonable composition. A rule in art is generally not to have even numbers and too much uniformity in a painting.

 

After much thought and deliberation I eventually moved towards a symbolic image.

 

I decided to use the idea of a hexagram in the underlying composition which would position the six birds at the six points around the focal point of interest. The nest with the golden egg.

 

There are other inferences to what is gold in the life of a bird. One bird has nesting material, another holds a piece of food.

 

The golden life of a bird depicted by partnership, a home, good environment, abundance of food and the next generation.

 

Please enjoy and let me know what you think. Thanks.

 

em: www.peteonart@petermspencer.com