Bird Paintings

I love birds. Watching them, listening to them and studying them in order to try and capture a moment in their life as a painting, static and locked in time.

The bird paintings I make are made up of numerous sources of visual information, as birds, unlike plants, don't stay still for very long.

In my studio I have a collection of reference books, photographs, sketches and what is lightly referred to as the 'dead shelf' ! On this shelf is a collection of birds, bits of birds, feathers, bees, butterflies and so on, all having 'passed away' by accident or naturally. These specimens are slowly dried out and provide accurate and intricate detailed information which is invaluable and a bit sad. Gone are the days, fortunately, when birds were shot for studying purposes.