phil baber
Clipped Wing
It used to be commonplace to see the artwork of birders everywhere, from annual reports to bird magazines. Now it seems that, primarily, the emphasis is on the representation of birds through photographs. But, is it the case that now there are too many photographs, and not enough artwork from birders?
I recently wondered if a friend who runs a local website would like to use my artwork for his site, with reference to a Hen Harrier seen on the "patch." The offer was readily accepted and the artwork posted. It looked quite interesting and fresh nestling there amongst the plethora of photos. If not unusual in this day and age! (Scroll down to Oct 13 entry.)
http://www.severnsidebirds.co.uk/page4.html
I was then asked by another friend if he could use it for his site which covered the same area. Gladly I emailed him the piece.
http://www.thebirdsofsouthgloucestershire.co.uk/
Then, having done a piece on Lapland Buntings, seen in another nearby area, I approached the webmaster of the area's local website,and asked him if he'd like the piece to post up. The answer? Why...yes!
http://www.clevedon-portisheadbirds.com/latestnews1a.htm
Could it be that general birding needs more of this stuff? Are people really satiated with endless photographs?:eek!:
Postulating this on my thread on the Art Forum I got some interesting responses.
Nick Derry said,
"Maybe it's time that we all infiltrated these sightings sites with more artwork and bring artwork back to the fore."
And Russ B said,
"I echo what Nick says and fully support your call for more bird art! I often yearn to bump into artistically-inclined birders when in the field, but the more I yearn, the more cameras I see!...
...all bird reports should have examples of this kind of work.
I'm gonna treat myself to BB Interactive for xmas so I can pore over the illustrations and field sketches of rarities at leisure. Some of the 80's and early 90's issues I posess have truly mouth-watering art in them. I wish I could travel back in time..."
Is artwork in general birding a thing of the past? Or can we turn the tide and claim back the territory we once held? Has the photograph really replaced the amateur accounting? The sketches with notes and annotations beloved of so many? The raw experience of birders distilled to essence by the pencil, pen and brush of a their love for their subject?
This thread therefore is a rallying call to all.
It is also a thread for everyone who is contributing to amateur ornithology in this way.
Please post up links to any of your contributions featured on sites, or post your artwork published in reports and other birding journals.
Is art in general birding moribund?
Or is it already dead?:cat:
Has the day come when the only artwork we will see by birders, is by a chosen few who illustrate the field guides? :-C
Or maybe we have come to believe that it is no longer possible to have anything other than photos to illustrate anything to do with birding?
I now turn this thread over to you. Would love to hear your comments. See what you have been up to in the "artwork contribution zone", and would love even more to know that there is a lot of amateur art out there in birding land.
And if there isn't?
Why not let us all do something to put that right!:t::cat:
I recently wondered if a friend who runs a local website would like to use my artwork for his site, with reference to a Hen Harrier seen on the "patch." The offer was readily accepted and the artwork posted. It looked quite interesting and fresh nestling there amongst the plethora of photos. If not unusual in this day and age! (Scroll down to Oct 13 entry.)
http://www.severnsidebirds.co.uk/page4.html
I was then asked by another friend if he could use it for his site which covered the same area. Gladly I emailed him the piece.
http://www.thebirdsofsouthgloucestershire.co.uk/
Then, having done a piece on Lapland Buntings, seen in another nearby area, I approached the webmaster of the area's local website,and asked him if he'd like the piece to post up. The answer? Why...yes!
http://www.clevedon-portisheadbirds.com/latestnews1a.htm
Could it be that general birding needs more of this stuff? Are people really satiated with endless photographs?:eek!:
Postulating this on my thread on the Art Forum I got some interesting responses.
Nick Derry said,
"Maybe it's time that we all infiltrated these sightings sites with more artwork and bring artwork back to the fore."
And Russ B said,
"I echo what Nick says and fully support your call for more bird art! I often yearn to bump into artistically-inclined birders when in the field, but the more I yearn, the more cameras I see!...
...all bird reports should have examples of this kind of work.
I'm gonna treat myself to BB Interactive for xmas so I can pore over the illustrations and field sketches of rarities at leisure. Some of the 80's and early 90's issues I posess have truly mouth-watering art in them. I wish I could travel back in time..."
Is artwork in general birding a thing of the past? Or can we turn the tide and claim back the territory we once held? Has the photograph really replaced the amateur accounting? The sketches with notes and annotations beloved of so many? The raw experience of birders distilled to essence by the pencil, pen and brush of a their love for their subject?
This thread therefore is a rallying call to all.
It is also a thread for everyone who is contributing to amateur ornithology in this way.
Please post up links to any of your contributions featured on sites, or post your artwork published in reports and other birding journals.
Is art in general birding moribund?
Or is it already dead?:cat:
Has the day come when the only artwork we will see by birders, is by a chosen few who illustrate the field guides? :-C
Or maybe we have come to believe that it is no longer possible to have anything other than photos to illustrate anything to do with birding?
I now turn this thread over to you. Would love to hear your comments. See what you have been up to in the "artwork contribution zone", and would love even more to know that there is a lot of amateur art out there in birding land.
And if there isn't?
Why not let us all do something to put that right!:t::cat:
