Even though Kestrel numbers have declined in the UK, we are very lucky here in the West Country, as they are a common site windhovering over gorse covered cliff sides and rugged moorland.

Kestrels are the only bird of prey that hover while they hunt and unlike other birds, such as the humming bird, they don’t rapidly beat their wings, they rely on ‘lift’ from wind to hold them in place, hardly flapping a wing at all. They simply open and glide a technique known as kiting.

I’ve used a slightly modified gilding technique to create a two tone gold silhouette of long wild, summer grasses and if you look closely, intricate speckles create an ambience of dancing motes, glimmering in the light.

My piece ‘Kiting Kestrel’ is reverse painted and entirely gilded in 24kt goldleaf. The framed work measures 1350mm x 650mm in a 47mm deep.

For more information on this piece please contact the studio directly.