Nuthatch portrait in fabric pastels and hand embroidery on linen

Inspired by the nuthatches I see in the woods around me, and occasionally my garden, this hand embroidered portrait is worked in a range of threads and stitches. All my work starts with observation, then drawing. The base of this embroidery is a fabric pastel drawing made from my sketches, over which I've built up layers of feather, fly, blanket and chain stitch to create texture and character.

The piece measures around 25 x 20 cm and is mounted in acid free cream mountboard with an oval aperture.