Favourite Bird Artist (1 Viewer)

M

Mike D

Hare today - gone tomorrow!

• Oct 28, 2003

• #1

Mine is without a doubt the late Dr Eric Ennion.

His straight-line representation and ability to capture the essence of the bird - - - - leaves me speachless! He had the ability to capture the feeling of the bird.

Tunnicliffe is excellent, no argument. But to capture the feeling of the wader on the saltmarsh I don't need to see every single feather. No, just the way I normally see the real live bird.

Dr. E.A.R. Ennion used to illustrate the old Bird Notes for the RSPB and I wish I had saved some of the copies I received. Ah well, hindsight!

The reception area on Brownsea Island had (and may still have) several originals of EARE's work. I am not of criminal leanings, but if I were - watch out Brownsea!

 

Last edited: Oct 28, 2003

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Dave B Smith

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #2

My two favorites are Audubon and Peterson. Of todays current artists, I don't have a favorite.

 

Larry Lade

Moderator

• Oct 28, 2003

• #3

I have always liked Arthur Singer's bird pictures. I have a collection of 8 of his paintings which were reproduced in some magazine my mother subscribed to. Each month there was a new full page painting reproduction on quality paper inserted into this particular magazine. I cannot remember the name of the magazine. (This was in the 1940's). I was interested in nature even back then when I was a lot younger.

 

Rufus

Bristlebirdwatcher

• Oct 28, 2003

• #4

Interesting topic, Mike!

I once had the pleasure of meeting Eric Ennion, when he was conducting a weekend birding course in Wiltshire in 1965.

When I met him I had a chance to check the accuracy of a story that I had written off as apocryphal when I first heard it. Eric Ennion and I had both (in different places and at different times) been with the Field Studies Council. The story went that when Ennion was warden of Flatford Mill Field Centre the staff had double-booked for one week, so twice as many people turned up for a birdwatching course as the place could accommodate.

What did they do? Hastily improvised a day course and a night course. As one shift went out into the field, the staff quickly changed the beds and the other shift hit the sack. Ennion confirmed that this was absolutely true!

Some years later I was editing the RSPB's "Birds", and we commissioned from him a sketch depicting Minsmere birds (issue of Nov-Dec 1972, p. 143, if you get a chance to look up a copy). In the same issue we used the work of another great bird artist, the anonymous illustrator of a book by King Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, published more than 700 years ago. Not modern in style, but still full of character.

 

Woody

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #5

That's tricky, I'm tempted to say me but I'll resist :bounce:

Chris Rose is fantastic as is Alistair Proud, I like a lot of Martin Ridley's work and there's Bruce Pearson if you like a looser style that's very atmospheric. For raptors I think Andy Ellis is difficult to beat although Dave Scott comes close. I also like the work of a couple of friends of mine; Chris Jones and Jonathan Pointer.

American artists, Edward Aldritch and Daniel Smith are great and if you want a woodcarver look no further than Floyd Scholz.

I think I'd still have to put Robert Bateman at the top though I think I would also say that his earlier stuff had the edge.

Anyone who paints birds is alright by me!

Woody

 

steve_nova

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #6

Well, from the very few that I am familiar with (about six) I have to say that David Reid-Henry hits the right spot. Not dissimilar in style to the two great artists below in fact.

Archibald Thorburn and G. E. Lodge (similar style) are both true feather detail masters and leave the background around the subject, quite literally in the background with a looser, less detailed stucture so leaving their subject in the fore.

For sheer intricate, technical detail I know of no one better than Axel Amuchastegui. His pictures usually have (though not always) only the subject and perch they are sitting/climbing on. The background is often just a milky wash. Both subject and perch are sharp and are more like a latter day James Audubon I think in their style.

Have a look at a few of his plates here: http://www.panteek.com/LoveLife/LLife.htm

 

H

HH75

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #7

Hi all,
I would have to say Lars Jonsson,without a doubt(no disrespect intended to my fellow Irishmen Killian Mullarney and Dave Daly,both of whose work I admire!)
Harry H

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• Oct 28, 2003

• #8

Mine would be Audubon and J. Fenwick Lansdowne. He (Lansdowne) is an extraordinary artist when it comes to capturing the birds realisticly.

 

W

willimac

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #9

Have to agree with Harry, couldnt find my Collins the other night and dug out my old Birds of Europe by Lars Jonsson and the first thing that struck me was the quality of the illustrations, spend the next few hours just leafing through the book. My experience of Bird artists is totally confined to the illustrations in Bird Books, of which I have many, and to my eyes at least ,he takes a bit of beating


Will

 

Woody

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #10

willimac said:

My experience of Bird artists is totally confined to the illustrations in Bird Books, of which I have many, and to my eyes at least ,he takes a bit of beating

Click to expand...

Interesting comment Will.

I had a stand at the Lee Valley bird fair last year which was the first time I had attended a bird fair.
One of the things I noticed was that, in general, most 'birders' seemed very keen on highly detailed, tightly rendered, small scale paintings much like field guide illustrations. They seemed much less keen on the looser styles.

I wondered at the time if it may be related to the 'birders' experience of ID illustrations.

BTW I'm not saying that 'illustration' isn't art.

Woody

 

J

jayhunter

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #11

Woody just keep painting the way you do your Kingfisher and Raffles are superb.

 

James Armstrong

Flowerpot Man

• Oct 28, 2003

• #12

jayhunter said:

Woody just keep painting the way you do your Kingfisher and Raffles are superb.

Click to expand...

Definitely! If you haven't visited Woody's website you should! Anyone ever seen Edward Lear's bird paintings? They're pretty amazing! Also the Rev. F.O. Morris.

james

 

W

willimac

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #13

Woody

Cant speak for others, but in my case you are spot on, I like the 'Illustration format' in bird books purely because it is my only experience in this medium. However you could count on one hand the times I have visited galleries or exhibitions in recent years, so perhaps I should broaden my horizons and have a look at the bigger picture, so to speak. Any suggestions where to start.

Will

 

Woody

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #14

Thanks Bob and James.

Will, there's loads of bird art on the web, you can find all the artists I've mentioned with the exception of Dave Scott.

If you want to see some of the best in the flesh though I think London is the place really. The Tryon gallery specialises in wildlife and one of the best exhibitions every year is the SWALA annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries.

Woody

 

W

willimac

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #15

Just checked out your website Woody(thanks for the link James),what a place to start! As a tiger buff the 'Pride of Ranthambore' is nothing short of stunning. And as for the kingfishers, well my horizons are moving.

Will

 

John Marshall

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #16

For wildfowl art I think the late Sir Peter Scott stands very high on the list. Currently Martin Ridley is quite superb.

 

J

jayhunter

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #17

Hey Woody out of quite a few mentioned in this thread, I do like Robert Bateman's work, also Edward Aldrich and J Fenwick Lansdowne. The Rev F.O. Morris was a bit like James Audobon and Axel Amuchastegui good but a bit clinical. Couldn't find any artwork of Chris Rose or Alistair Proud, only bibliographies.

 

Woody

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #18

Hi Bob, for Chris Rose and others go to
http://www.birdillustrators.co.uk
and follow the links

Woody

 

M

Mike D

Hare today - gone tomorrow!

• Oct 28, 2003

• #19

Hi to all who responded to my question, many thanks.

Room for much thought!

Rufus - I also heard the same story about the over-bookings, so it is possibly correct. I envy you the fact that you met him. There are only two people I wish I had met in the natural history world - EARE and Ted Ellis. The latter lived just down the road from me. He used to appear regularly on our local TV, and his depth of knowledge was legendary! I've met his daughters, but it is no substitute.

I shall be checking out the other artists mentioned and who knows? Might be buying some pictures.

Mike

 

Gill Osborne

Well-known member

• Oct 28, 2003

• #20

A few other artists that should be mentioned...well, I love their work anyway! Peter Partington, Thelma K. Sykes and Robert Gilmor...they are all, like Eric Ennion, brilliant at capturing the jizz and character of birds in just a few simple lines! If I could draw half as good as them I wouldn't be working in a boring shop!!!
Big fan of a lot of the above though...there are just SO many! I'd be reading each post and thinking 'oh yes, forgot about him...'
I prefer pictures that capture the character of the bird...field guide illustrations don't do it for me! I CAN look at them and think 'yes, they show the species in fantastic detail and ARE really good........' but they don't turn me on the way a good sketch does!!!