Now there's a question! I suppose my heroes change over time, but there are four artists whose 'style' I've tried to emulate (in my own way): Lars Jonsson, Mike Warren, Bruce Pearson and Eric Ennion. Lars - 'nuff said - the master. Mike, beautiful sense of design and colour and composition, though I wish he'd realise that not all birds are tear-drop shaped! (Personal grudge after he said that Ennion couldn't get birds' shapes right (!!!)) Bruce, having watched him work, there is such excitement in what he does, very much an inspiration for my manic painting frenzies (though I guess he drinks less than me). Ennion - the other master, his flawless differentiation between necessary and superfluous, and the fact his birds are always doing something!
The list can (and will) go on. Darren Rees' Bird Impressions was a great inspiration, wish I was capable of such clean watercolours. James McCallum's fieldwork just makes me jealous as hell as I never see scenes like he does. David Bennet manages to put so much 'reality' with so little effort (though some of his oils look a little 'lost') John Busby, another master, his birds are 'liquid' and living, plus he is a very nice person. Kim Atkinson - very exciting stuff as is the work of Nik Pollard and Greg Poole. Peter Scott is excellent, less of an inspiration for me than some of the others, but the works that do inspire me, inspire me very strongly indeed. Liljefors produced some stunning work (shame a lot of it was made from shot birds tied to trees!) but his legendary Black-throated Divers and Sea Eagles hunting Eiders, are, well, legendary. John Paige is a great inspiration (and a comfort) as he plays with all media, he doesn't have one single style. (I sometimes look at my work and think, nobody's going to think these are by the same person), I met him at the birdfair many years ago, he was very keen to look through my portfolio and talk art.
Plus all of you on here are a great source of inspiration, as I've said before, I've learned so much by following all our different techniques and inspirations.
And there's probably more to add, but my computer's starting to run out of ink!