Bird and Wildlife Illustration

Recent Work and Work In Progress 2012

2012-01-29T11:06:00.001-08:00

Its that time of year again where I'm going through Biro's like they are going out of fashion with report drawings but I love it...

Here are a few pieces I have been toying with during 2012 so far. I feel very optimistic about my art this year with some nice ideas and some new techniques up my ink stained sleeves.

I have been jotting them all down and adding to the ever increasing paper mountain at the corner of my desk. I hope to bring some of these ideas to you this year and aim to push my art as far as possible....Some ideas I hope will be winners and some will inevitably be flops but nothing ventured nothing gained...THAT'S THE FUN OF ART!

Thanks for your time, Jack

White-throated Robin (Hartlepool Headland 2011)
This is a loose painting I'm working on for two very kind lads who took me for this beautiful bird.

Pied Wheatear (Spurn 2011)

Penduline Tit (Wintersett Reservoir 2011)

Great Grey Shrike showing some a-typical excubitor features (Wroot 2012)

Oh and before I forget

Checkout these two links for some draw droppingly beautiful work:

DAVID DALY'S Incredible New Website (IRELAND PRODUCES AVIAN ART GEINUS'S) http://www.davedalyartist.com/index.php

and IAN LEWINGTON'S NEW Website that is Bird Art on steroids http://www.ian-lewington.co.uk/

The Real FATHER OF CHRISTMAS

2011-12-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

LARS JONSSON!!!

This is what happens when Lars Jonsson does Christmas

could you honesty ask for a better decoration for a christmas tree! WOW

You would be easily forgiven for thinking he is not real (Given paintings like this) but believe me he is and more of his magic can be seen at

http://larsjonsson.se including some incredible new pieces of work!

I must apologise prefusely for not posting any of my work recently but I have been simply too busy at work to do any. This said I aim to get a lot done over the festive period and new year and aim to get a lot posted once I return from Spurn where I am heading for Christmas in search of Pygmy Owl. It may sound daft but given the number just across the north sea and Spurns track record of owls there is always a chance...NOTHING VENTURED,NOTHING GAINED as they say.

As always I'am very grateful indeed to all those who have supported me in 2011 and hope I can continue to upload work for you to enjoy in 2012.

Thanks Again and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Best Wishes Jack Ashton-Booth

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR (Oenanthe isabellina)

2011-11-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

Given that I missed one of these cracking birds at Spurn recently I had to make do with second best and just stare vacantly at Killian Mullarney's beyond incredible drawing that I found a while back that I pinned up on my notice/montage board!

Isabelline Wheatear Illustrated by the ONE AND ONLY Killian Mullarney
(aka the William Occam of bird art i.e. 'one should not multiply entities beyond necessity)

Above where I sit and draw in my flat whilst working on my finished pieces I have a cork board on which I pin up everything that either inspires me or has a special place in my heart.

It sounds soft I know but in the times when I'm struggling to find a natural flow whilst drawing, sketching or painting I just sit back and disappear into the world on my board where birds and bird art take centre stage away from the banality of everyday life.

Unfortunately I collect so many cut outs and images that I have spread to cork board in the kitchen, one day I hope to have a studio with walls made from cork and a room dedicated to bird artists, birds and memories!

Some of My Latest Black and Whites

2011-11-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Ive just had my computer fixed after numerous problems that prevented me from blogging but I am happy to say I'm back in Black(and white as it happens). As ever I am immensely grateful indeed to everyone who had the patience to continue to follow my blog and provide that character building support that I vastly appreciate time and time again.

The following works are pieces I have been working on here and there when I can find the time between work. Ideally I would love to be doing art full time but given the ever worsening economic climate that seems to be far out of reach.

However my love for birding and bird art remains as strong as ever and hope you can begin to enjoy the blog again after my short absence.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper Illustration is one I recently finished for Yorkshire Birding Magazine and the others are for the 2009 York Ornithological Club Report which I have had the fortune to Illustrate for the first time along some cracking artists.

At present I am working on some pending commissions and the 2011 Spurn Nature Review in which I have been given the artist review section in the centre of the report which I am very excited about.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Winter Plumage Red-necked Grebe
(or should I say Pacific/Black-throated Diver) messed the head shape up a little bit on this bird but always a pleasure to draw

Quail
Not my favourite illustration ever

Pink-Footed Geese over York Minster

Eurasian Jay

Corncrake

Juvenile Ruff

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper (Beacon Ponds/Easington Autumn 2011)
Don't ask what happened to its back end, these birds can adopt some crazy postures at times, I was pleased with the primary projection but not the mantle/tertials

SIR PETER SCOTT ORIGINAL DRAWINGS IN MY HAND........MIND BLOWING!

2011-09-11T07:15:00.001-07:00

I Had a very surreal day on Saturday! I attended a Book Fair in York to see if I could find any nice gems relating to bird art or any nice old bird books hidden amongst the many shelves of antique books on display. There were many of the old classics on display namely British tits (Christopher Perrins from the Collins New Naturalist Series)
that seems to appear at every stall?

However every now and then I would come across a beauty of a book like The Sparrowhawk by Ian Newton which is made twice as amazing as it contains Keith Brockie's incredible illustrations! (SOME OF MY FAVOURITE OF ALL TIME...especially the bird incubating on nest...WOW) what I would give to get hold of a print!

Sparrowhawk and with feathers of prey, by Keith Brockie

Sparrowhawk Face On by Keith Brockie

Sparrowhawk Circling up over Landscape, by keith Brockie

Sparrowhawk Head Profile by Keith Brockie

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But the best was yet to come and on getting to the Modern First Editions Stall I was blown away with what lay ahead of me....SIR PETER SCOTTS ORIGINAL DRAWINGS FOR THE KEY PLATES OF 'THE WATERFOWL OF THE WORLD'!!!!!

Amazingly the Gentlemen (a real gentlemen it has to be said) running the stall allowed me to take it down from its display and look at every page and photograph them.

I was in Heaven!

This is the description given in the brochure regarding Sir Peter Scotts Work:

An archive from the estate of Sir Peter Scott's widow comprising thirty four line original line drawings and two dozen proofs by the great ornithological writer and artist for Volumes One, Two and Three of The Waterfowl of the World written by Scott's friend the French-American author Jean Delacour. In their clean lines and lack of fussiness these drawings reveal Scott's facility as a draughtsman and his extraordinary attention to detail, combined with the drive and determination which enabled him to carry through encyclopedic projects of this kind. These are the illustrations to the key plates which were bound into volumes I-III opposite Scott's colour plates of waterfowl. They are delicately inked onto tracing paper apparently by drawing over his own painted images for the coloured plates. There are pin marks which appear in the corners of all the sheets and would have held each one in place over the primary image. After completing the outline Scott then adds enough detail to effect the transfer from painted image to line drawing, rounding out the image and denoting significant identifying features. He appears to have decided that the images of chicks required the most shading and cross-hatching which makes them some of the most endearing images. Scott's final task for each drawing was to glue into position the labels that allow the reader to identify the species in both English and Latin. Most sheets also show additional annotations in Scott's handwriting. There are frequent signs of revision and improvement. Scott used tippex where he'd made minor mistakes and blue watercolour where a whole bird needed removing from the image. It's noticeable that he's more prone to these errors in the drawings for the first volume than the third volume which shows a much greater fluency of line, aided perhaps by the slightly smaller numbers of American and African species filling the page. In addition to Scott's notes there are printer's annotations concerning technical information, especially regarding the need to resize the images. VOLUME 1 covers The Magpie Goose, Whistling Ducks, Swans and Geese, Sheldgeese and Sheldducks: fifteen key plates showing quite heavy patterns of correction and emendation; each sheets labelled by Scott with some additional annotations and instructions. There is a letter from Country Life returning the drawings to Scott in 1962. VOLUME 2: The Dabbling Ducks - 23 proofs used for labelling and printed on slightly more opaque tracing paper; also in their original envelope. VOLUME 3: Eiders, Pochards, Perching Ducks, Scoters, Golden-eyes and Mergansers, Stiff-tailed Ducks. All 19 of the original key plates are present for Volume III drawn on a higher quality of tracing paper and consequently presenting clearer images. Plates in their original envelope. The drawings with their carefully positioned labels are testament to Peter Scott's lifelong mission to share his passion for wildlife, and waterfowl in particular, with the widest possible audience.

Here are some of the photos I took of the drawings and one taken from the website that's a lot clearer than my shaky efforts resulting from the amount of adrenaline rushing through my blood stream....

HOW STUNNING ARE THESE DUCKLINGS, LOOK AT THE SPECTACLED EIDER...WOW!

I would just like to say a massive thankyou to the gentlemen at Modern First Editions for all of his time and allowing me the privelage to look at an absolute legends work! I am very grateful indeed

If anyone would like any more information concerning these drawings or is interesting in them they are for sale at the Modern First Editions Website @ http://www.modernfirsteditions.com/product/originaldrawing334536576.html

BELIEVE ME THERE WORTH IT....There beautifully executed and the Ducklings/Goslings are incredible

An ARTIST in FOCUS

2011-09-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Pomroy

I was meant to create a post before about the superb talents of Jonathan Pomroy but thought it was even more applicable to post one at present after seeing the latest Issue of Birding World and Jonathan's beautiful swift painting that decorates the front cover for all to see.

My first encounter with Jonathan's work was in various Yorkshire journals that I recieved after getting some of my feeble attempts printed in them. Looking back at my work In some of these I would have never have put them to print if I knew Jonathan's work was going to feature in them as they made mine look like scribbles of an infant.

I then wondered if he had got a website and a blog and found he had..Wahoo

See Jonathan's work here

http://jonathanpomroy.wordpress.com/about/

Little Gull by Jonathan Pomroy.....enough said!

Yorkshire Birding Art

2011-09-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

Here are two black and white illustrations I completed a couple of weeks back for Yorkshire Birding Journal. They feauture a Stone Curlew that visited Oldmoor RSPB Reserve on the 5th of May earlier this year and a Serin that flew south with a flock of Swallows at the narrow neck(ONLY AT SPURN).

My computers lost everything at the minute so I have had to take these drawings back from an old email so please excuse the scan quality. To be fair though these are not what I would call my best illustrations and I felt a little pressured and rusty drawing them! IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE WEEKS

My Auctioned Art

2011-08-15T12:49:00.001-07:00

To take my mind off the news that a Juvenile Pallid Harrier (my absolute dream bird to see in Britain along with Two-barred Greenish)had made landfall on Fair Isle in 2011 rather than 2010 or 2009 I thought I would upload some art that I have been promising to upload on my blog!

The following pieces are bits I pieced together for the art auction at Spurn last week to raise money for the Observatory

It must be said that the colours in the paintings are not truly portrayed by the scanned image and some of the finer details and therefore image quality has been lost so please forgive me

Collared Pratincole, Humber Shore, Spurn, April 2011

Adult Male Montagu's Harrier, flying south east out to sea, Spurn, May 2011

'RIDERS OF THE STORM' aka Swifts a Spurn specialty heading south over the narrows in front of an electrical storm

and the original layout sketch I used whilst planning the piece

SPURN'S ART AUCTION and in ARCTIC stunners!

2011-08-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

This post is a ode to one of the best weekends of my life to date and one of the most awkward weekends of my life!

Not only did I raise money from doing something I love for something I love just as equally but had a reminder of what life is about after spending a morning at the seawatch hide in the company of some of my favourite people watching arctic waders dripping in off the sea!

To my complete shock I raised £180 for Spurn Bird Observatory Trust having auctioned off a handful of my work alongside some cracking surprise pieces by Anthony Disley of a Red-Flanked Bluetail and a Pallas's Warbler.

I would just like to thanks ever so much to everybody for allowing me to take part, allowing my work to be auctioned alongside such accomplished bird artists and for everyone who parted with their hard earned cash to purchase my work

However I must mention I would rather not be there the next time any of my work is auctioned and my name is called out. I find it far to embarrassing and painful when people wan't to spend money on something I love doing and would continue to do irrespective of an monetary incentive

I ended up purchasing the Chiffchaff by Alan Harris (uploaded on previous post)to add to my ever increasing small collection of bird art and am over the moon!

The art I auctioned off will be uploaded asap including the finished piece entitled 'Riders of the Storm' conveying swifts passing south over the narrows at Spurn. I can assure that it won't be the last swift piece I will post on my blog given the number of people that want a similar kind of piece of work doing....wahoo, they are a pleasure to draw!

RIDERS OF THE STORM

2011-08-03T13:16:00.001-07:00

This is a new piece I am working on and was inspired to upload the intitial pencil work by today's thunderstorms.....Swifts truly ride electricity!

6 swifts heading south past the narrows at Spurn! NONE WITH WHITE RUMPS...not this time anyway, not that I had chance to draw the Pacific Swift at the speed it was going!

(SORRY for the poor scanning quality, the piece is bigger than my A4 scanner)

Two-barred's are coming!

2011-08-03T12:52:00.001-07:00

With reports of thousands of these incredible birds moving through Fenno-Scandia I thought it was only right that to continue uploading Two-barred Crossbill linked posts.

So.....Once every now and then I receive lovely emails stemming from people viewing my blog. On opening my inbox the other day I was met with just such a message and was greeted with this awesome watercolour by Irish birder and bird artist Barry Ryan illustrating two of these fine birds.

They were painted by Barry on the same Stockholm trip that he went to see a Lars Jonsson exhibition!

I for one wish I had been there for both events!.... SOUNDS LIKE HEAVEN

At least it sounds like we can catch up with one of the aforementioned things this year in the British isles.

Thanks Ever So Much indeed Barry for chatting to me about everything I live and breath and for all the fantastic info...very much appreciate it

AS A FOOTNOTE I STILL CAN'T GET MY HEAD AROUND THE AMAZING PLACES, SEASCAPES/LANDSCAPES THESE BIRDS MUST SEE WHILST MIGRATING! ITS TO MUCH TO ABSORB....BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF NATURE!

Immature Female Two-barred Crossbill at Spurn

2011-07-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

Another fantastic new addition to the spurn list found by Paul Collins and Rael Butcher at Kew this morning!

Worst bit is I was toying with the idea of going through to do some birding and ringing last night but thought I would get some artwork finished instead!

Here is my artistic impression of the bird sat above the pond in the apple trees at Kew, I must add that it was drawn in about 10 minutes whilst I was trying to getting over missing such a top bird at Spurn so isn't the best quality ever!

Keep Up the great work lads

Can't be many wing barred finches left to be found at Spurn now!

More at http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk

Bits and Bobs and BBQ

2011-07-27T02:37:00.001-07:00

A quick upload of a couple of black and white pieces I was playing around with in between some other pieces I am working on. I tend to do little quick vignettes whilst I'm breaking from painting or illustrating other more detail works just to keep my mind ticking over and fingers moving!

Hooded Crow south at Spurn May 2011

Lapwing Face On (me simply messing about)

ART AUCTION:

Also I thought I would take this opportunity to say I will be auctioning off some of my art at Spurn Bird Observatories annual BBQ next weekend along with a few pieces by other regular Spurn Artists to raise money for the obsevatory and to help it to continue the great work it does for birds and birders!

Featured artists include Alan Harris, Ray Scally and Sue Hepton

I will probably be auctioning the following illustrations:

-Squacco Heron (In Biro)featured before on the blog!
-White-tailed Eagle (Water Soluble Pencil)featured on the Spurn Bird Observatory Homepage for a stint
-Collared Pratincole (Watercolour and Gouache)
-Montagu's Harrier (medium undecided)
-and a surprise! (Pastel Pencil with Graphite or Pen)

Ray is auctioning off this Icterine Warbler featured in the 2010 Spurn Report

see more of Ray's Work at http://www.rayscally.co.uk

Sue Hepton is auctioning off a Purple Gallinule painting

and Alan Harris will be auctioning off His Chiffchaff and Ring Ouzel from the 2010 Spurn Report
all artwork copyright of Alan Harris!

Chiffchaff

Ring Ouzel

If you are not a friend of spurn and won't be attending the BBQ but are interested in making a bid for any of the art, a donation or becoming a friend of Spurn Bird Observatory you are more than welcome to do so by emailing Andy Roadhouse at

friendsofspurn@hotmail.com

Please dig deep everyone to allow Spurn to keep bringing smiles to birders faces!

Thankyou, Jack

Lars Jonsson Poster

2011-07-20T02:28:00.000-07:00

I would be very happy indeed if anyone could shed some light on this poster for me please or know if it is possible to buy, still in print, available etc

I would love nothing more than to have one framed in my living room...Its STUNNING!

http://www.larsjonsson.se/frameset8.htm

Any information gratefully received

Thanks Ever So Much

Jack

THE ART OF NOTE TAKING Continued

2011-07-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more lovely constructed birding notes from the aforementioned Mick Cunningham and Garry Taylor who provided me with some of his old notes from back when he was a IN HIS WORDS NOT MINE 'a proper birder'!

Citrine Wagtail by Mick Cunningham

Leach's Petrel by Garry Taylor

Sabine's Gull and Cory's Shearwater by Garry Taylor

A cracking little field sketch of a partially albino Swift by Garry Taylor

Its a travesty that notes seem to be dying out!

THE ART OF NOTE TAKING!

2011-07-17T03:56:00.001-07:00

My hearts back in my art again and after a month of not putting pen to paper all I want to do is draw birds and surround myself with bird art.

I have turned a new leaf and have decided that I'm going to try and experiment a bit with Colour and other mediums and try and saturate my work a little more, rather than staying close to my comfort blanket of pen and ink.

I thought I would take this opportunity to celebrate the art of note taking and highlight a few proper note takers whose notes are beautiful to look at and an art piece in themselves.

In an age whereby record shots can get a bird accepted, an avian record verified and photos taken that pick up details that the eye can't necessarily see.

I find it very reassuring to see birders taking notes of their everyday encounters and of common birds as well as the not so common arrivals. Even its to simply compliment photos that have already been taking of the bird or a subject in question within a scrapbook.

The beauty of a notebook and pencil is its reliable!

What happens on that fresh October morning when you stumble accross a Grey-necked Bunting in a cover crop and your camera battery runs out???

Here are a few examples of 1st class note takers! and after seeing these notes I for one wan't to join this circle of the living breathing memory cards rather than just drawing birds without annotating them.

Boulmer Birder

http://boulmerbirder.blogspot.com/

Steph Thorpe

http://www.freewebs.com/slthorpebirdart/

Mick Cunningham

The following sketches depict a Honey Buzzard at an Undisclosed site and a Merlin at Spurn. I know very few other birders with the knowledge that Mick has.

Mick Turton

One of my birding hero's! His notebooks are stunning and the birds he has found are a testament to how good a birder he is. He is the most thorough birder I know for sure. He takes notes of everything hes sees and the following field notes speak for themselves

The most valuable lesson I ever learnt about taking notes was during July 2009 when I made a fundamental error with what I thought was a Two-barred Crossbill on Fair Isle. With the Crossbill numbers increasing daily on the island I set off to sift through them in the hope of finding myself a Two-barred Crossbill. On getting to Buness on the 11th there I was faced with a few Wing-barred Crossbills in a group of about 35 Crossbills including a very well marked male with definite wing bars and white tertial fringes!!!!

Having never seen a Two-barred before and any wing-barred Crossbills before for that matter I phoned Deryk Shaw and explained how I thought I had a male Two-barred Crossbill! Del arrived and soon explained how it was a very well marked (probably the most well marked) wing-barred common crossbill he had ever come across. However rather than feeling deflated I thought I would take the opportunity to study an equally rare bird with regards to its plumage...If only I had seen this bird on the 24th of July rather than the 11th..... typically with birding the real deal arrived on the 23rd and gave me views up to 4 ft away whilst it fed on oyster plant!

There are not many places on earth whereby you can sit alone with such a gob smackingly stunning bird only feet away from you...Thankyou Adam Seward!

Here are a few notes I compiled after the event in order to never make the same mistake again...to be honest both birds were equally as beautiful.

Wing-barred female Common Crossbill (11th July 09) courtesy of Deryk Shaw

Wing-barred female Common Crossbill again (11th July 09) courtesy of Deryk Shaw

Wing-barred Male Common Crossbill (11th July 09) courtesy of Deryk Shaw

Close up of Two-barred Crossbill (note distinct lack of white tertial tips worn off resulting from to wear)

Stunning Uppertail Coverts!

Male Two-barred Crossbill (left) without white tips to tertials (worn off) alongside Wing-barred Crossbill with white fringes to tertials!

More than a treat!

Recent Yorkshire Birding Artwork

2011-06-13T13:04:00.001-07:00

These are two of the most recent illustrations I have done that have gone to print and feature in The recent addition of Yorkshire Birding (Volume 20 Number 1).

The drawings depict a White-spotted Bluethroat found by the Lovely Ian Whitehouse at Spurn on March the 20th and a Ring-necked Parakeet (Rose-ringed Parakeet) that was ruined by a one of my unpredictable pens that has a tendency to bleed every now and then (explainign the dark lores and lack of light reflecting off the bill).

Bluethroat=An Artistic Blocker

2011-06-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have survived two months without an artistic block but the time has now come and this block has hit me twice as hard.....the worst bit about it is the fact I have loads to be getting on with.

Unfortunately I can't find it in myself to draw and its not simply something you can force to happen as it comes from the heart.

I believe the reason it happened was after drawing Bluethroats. I had drawn loads of them in my quest to try and get the gape and bill just perfect (in relation to eye and rest of the head) and got so downhearted with not succeeding that I downed tools and gave in!

I' am a big believer in the fact you 'never fail until you stop trying' but something got the better of me this time and I can't bring myself to open my sketchbook!

I sincerely hope I am back uploading on the blog shortly and have begun to believe in myself again

These are the last two drawings/paintings i can show you (along with two I did for the latest Yorkshire Birding Magazine that I can't upload just yet)just before I hit the brick wall

One is of a an unfinished Tawny Pipit at Spurn (a stunning lifer for me that I watched alongside a Curlew Sandpiper..MAGIC) and the others an artistic impression of the White-spotted Bluethroat at Spurn earlier on the year

Hope to Be back Soon. Cheers, Jack

The Jewel Hunter

2011-05-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

During late September of last year, Fair Isle Bird Observatory was extremely fortunate enough to host a talk by Chris Gooddie about his personal conquest to see all of the 32 species of pitta this stunning world has to offer.

Unfortunately for me I was on bar duty and for some reason only discovered the talk had commenced after the observatory guests returned for a drink and wouldn't stop talking about how good his talk was....JUST MY LUCK!

For some reason I think I had got confused and was under the impression that Del was giving his talk on 'Life as the Warden'.....don't get me wrong, Del's talks were ace but I had seen his talks quite a few times already and probably had my head buried in a BB or a Birding World at the time!

Anyway to cut a long story short I picked up one of Chris Gooddie's books up that he had left on the lounge coffee table about his personal adventure in search of feathered treasure and began to read it. Unfortunately I didn't finish it before my season finished so asked Chris If he wouldn't mind swapping me a copy of the book for a piece of art and he happily agreed much to my relief!

This following illustration is of a male Blue-headed Pitta (Pitta baudii) an endemic to Borneo that I recently sent to Chris in exchange for The Jewel Hunter that is a must if you love birds!
(Given that I have never been to Borneo I had to rely quite heavily on Photographic reference for this painting)

Nesting Treecreepers

2011-05-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Recently I have found two Treecreeper nests at Work and are blown away by them. Their nests are meticulously built using larch twigs wrapped in the finest gossamer spider threads you have ever seen.

This was drawing I did for two of my volunteers working in the woodland with me who were simply outstanding, I couldn't think of a better way to show them my gratitude than to illustrate one of these cryptic little crackers!

Some Recent Watercolours

2011-05-09T12:15:00.001-07:00

These are just a couple of paintings I did within a quick time span during one of my days off from work.

I'am usually so tired from working I struggle to find time or the stamina to paint as much as I would love to. I'am however getting better at managing the time I have to myself and the time I can asign to painting and can't apologise enough to those people who are waiting on work (namely Dougie Barr)

Its not that I don't want to do it, its finding the time to do it.

If only art payed the bills! Now What a world that would be

The 1st painting tries to depict(a very poor scan)a Buff-breasted Sandpiper which are mind blowingly cool birds and I was lucky enough to see 2 birds last autumn. It is a little more pot-bellied than I like so intend to work into it more with Gouache In the hope of correcting it and giving it more depth in its enivronment. (Watercolour from mental notes/drawings done on the evening after seeing the birds)

The 2nd painting is one I knocked up in about half hour as a celebration of the Raptor trio observed by my friends on North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory within roughly one week of each other....Incredible stuff! White-tailed Eagle (left), poorly painted Goshawk (centre) and Black Kite (right)

So far in 2011 the Observatory has observed:

White-tailed Eagle
Osprey (today as it happens)
Black Kite
Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Sparrowhawk
Goshawk
Peregrine
Kestrel
Merlin

and thats before May has really kicked off!

To see more or to stay at North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory visit http://www.nrbo.co.uk

Believe me it is well worth it not only for the raptors but for everything bird and non-bird related.Plus if you love waders you will be blown away!!! MAGIC

Spurn Wildlife 20 (2010 Report)

2011-05-03T02:41:00.000-07:00

Get your copy of the 2010 Spurn Bird Observatory Report which is out now!

If you are at Spurn this weekend and you want to buy a copy, you can find them at the YWT visitor centre or at Kew Villa for £8.

Or simply become a friend of Spurn by visiting the friends of Spurn page http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/friends.html for more details and to download a form or see Paul Collins or Andy Roadhouse at Kew.

I would like to congratulate Andy Roadhouse and Chris Gaughan for compiling another masterpiece of a report and to send my indisputable admiration to Ray Scally and John Grist (The Watercolour Genie) whose artwork in the report never fails to inspire me

Here is a preview of my artwork that can be found in the report and the art I did whilst working up to the pieces I wanted in the report:

Ad.Winter Plumage Slavonian Grebe (Biro)

Adult with Juvenile Brent Geese, Long Bank (Soft Watercolour Pencil)

Brent Geese (bernicla, hrota and nigricans) a Spurn Speciality , ps. not one of my specialities! (Pen and Pencil Crayon)

Black Brant nigricans on the Humber at New Road(Pen and Pencil Crayon)

Gestural Branta Medley and Spurn Peninsula (soft watercolour pencil)

More Composition ideas

Common Buzzard kettle with a single Marsh Harrier (top left corner) over Spurn (Soft Watercolour Pencil).

Just one of several kettles to be observed at what has to be Britain's very own Falsterbo! This one was 14 strong...incredible place and incredible birds!

Bee-eater with a drove of Swifts,(watercolour and Gouache) undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Spurn year is the swift passage and I have many an amazing memory of the big swift days at spurn (despite missing the day of the Little and Pacific Swift!). This painting depicts one particular drove that was carrying a Bee-eater as they moved south along the peninsula ahead of a front! ONLY AT SPURN.........Magical!

Lapland Buntings (very quick sketch in Sepia Ink)
After a massive year nationally for this species they inevitably had to feature in the report. I wanted to capture the panic of a flock flushed by one of the local foxes on the cliff edge on the North Sea side near Sandy Beaches Caravan Park. To encapsulate the panic/alert in the birds the sketch had to be done in haste so ink was the perfect medium and my favourite!

An Artist in Focus: Szabolcs Kokay 'UNBELIEVABLE'

2011-04-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

I was once having a conversation with Rebecca Nason on Fair Isle and can remember mentioning to her how amazing Szabolcs Kokay's artwork was.

Rebecca was in complete agreement and as coincidence would have It she told me that her stall was next to his at the bird fair.

At this point I vividly remember turning to her and saying that she should keep an eye on his work as he will undoubtedly become one of the masters of Bird and Wildlife illustration!

However I think I may have been wrong when I said "BECOME" I think I meant to say 'IS' and I hope this video illustrates my point!

HOW DOES HE DO IT??????

More of Szabolcs Kokay's mind blowing work can be found at:

http://www.kokay.hu/

and on his blog at:

http://kokayart.blogspot.com/

Check out his Squacco Heron in Watercolour....I'm speechless!

HUMBLED! to say the least

2011-04-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

During the winter of last year I was very gratefully asked If I wanted to illustrate a new bird book being brought out by Kate Humble, due for release in the spring of 2011.

(Image borrowed from http://www.dollymix.tv/images/Kate%20Humble.jpg)

Well that time has come and Kate's new book is available on Amazon as we speak. I believe the official release date is on the 27th of April but as the books are available from some retail outlets I decided to upload my work in the run up to its formal release.

The book is called Watching Waterbirds with Kate Humble and Martin McGill and is The book introduces some 75 species of wetland birds to readers through the eyes of Kate Humble.

The product description is the best way of summarising the book as it describes it in a nutshell

Product description:

Kate freely admits she is still learning her birds, so to find out more she contacted Martin McGill of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust to act as her guide. Their birdwatching sessions together form the basis of this book. As Kate learns the difference between a Canada Goose and a Barnacle Goose, which ducks dive and which ducks dabble, and how to tell apart those little brown jobs that warble from the reedbeds, so she passes on the information to the reader as she goes. The effect is not dissimilar to the Last Chance to See series, in which Mark Carwardine and Stephen Fry scour the world for endangered species. The difference between Canada Geese and Barnacle Geese? Just remember that the C-anada goose has a C-hin-strap. The Teal is the Ziggy Stardust of the duck world, while the Shoveler feeds as though it's dropped its contact lenses. Each species takes up approximately two pages, complete with photographs and illustrations to bring out the key identification and behavioural points. The birds are divided into simply titled groups - large waddling birds, little brown jobs, and so on. Other chapters in the book cover topics such as basic equipment, clothing, hide etiquette and more, each written for the beginner in Kate's style. WWT centres: Slimbridge (Glos), Arundel (Sussex), Wetland Centre (Barnes), Welney (Norfolk), Washington (Tyne & Wear), Caerlaverock (Dumfries), Martin Mere (Lancs), Llanelli (Wales), Castle Espie (N Ireland).

Authors:

Kate Humble is Vice President of WWT, President of the RSPB and co-presenter of Springwatch and Autumnwatch. Martin McGill is a senior warden with WWT, based at Slimbridge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite it being pointed towards the beginner I am very proud and happy indeed to be part of it, especially if it goes towards helping the plight of some of our most charismatic resident and migrant waterbirds and enables other people to enjoy a hobby (arguably a way of life) that has given me hour after hour of enjoyment

Artwork

How my art will look in the book is similar to the annotated note style Jamie Oliver used in his 'Jamie at Home' series whereby he kept a journal of the ingredients he used in his cooking and where they came from in his garden (see poor photo below as an example)

My illustrations depict the birds Kate and Martin observed and hopefully highlight particular behavioural traits and defining features the species has. My work is placed alongside images of the birds and Kate studying them and creates a diary/scrapbook like spread to achieve a sense of discovery and avian adventure.

I hope you enjoy the book and my art as much as I enjoyed working on it. I would just like to say a massive thankyou to Kate Humble and Lou Millward for asking me to be part of this book and wish them great success with the publication.

New Book: Drawing and Painting Birds by Tim Wootton

2011-04-19T02:05:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin!

Lets just say I wake up very tired as I can't seem to put it down when I begin to read it just before bed. Not only is the text addictive but the pages are decorated from top to bottom with amazing artwork from some of my favourite artists and now new favourite artists.

Every aspect of bird art is covered in the book and takes you through each necessary step to get you started until you have reached completion on a finished piece. The beauty of any art book is its ability to relate to and inspire the beginner such as myself as well as a master of the field and this book does just that.

The book is segregated into the following sections

1. Why Paint Birds?
2. Drawing Techniques
3. Anatomy
4.Drawing Bird Types
5.Adding Paint
6.What and where to Paint
7. Elements of Composition: Placing the Birds in Context
8.Advance Techniques

and is a mass montage of colour, energy, and beauty that clearly conveys Tim Wootton's skill as a bird artist, his personal journey through art and his great passion for birds, bird art, the artists that inspired him and for life itself.

The only negative points I have to make about the book is the fact I don't get anytime to do my own art now because I can't put the book down. Also the book is beginning to jeopardise my relationship, as my girlfriend has lost me to the book and is sick of hearing 'how do you do that' and 'have you seen this' and 'WOW. WOW.WOW...look at this'.

It was bad enough before this book was published as I had not one, but two of John Busby's drawing birds books and now I have three books next to one another that talk to me when I'm sat around the house, 'PICK ME UP, PICK ME UP, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO' there worse than Kinder Bueno's....Yes its the book has be likened to Busby's books but honestly who gives a monkeys, surely more the merrier.

To all those negative critics I would like to refer to something John Busby once wrote:

'Too many wildlife artists shut their eyes to the values of the wider world of art, and then complain that their own work, which may ignore the aesthetic and emotional energies that are the lifeblood of art, is not admitted in the same league. Knowledge of subject matter is not enough. Art is a synthesis, a unity of the ideas and the means used to express them'

Yes I'm obsessed with this book and Busby's book and yes I don't care and I'm sure you will be yourself on opening it up. If you simply love birds or simply love illustrating and painting them you have to get this, that is unless you have a art deadline to meet

Right I have to go as I have a book to read.........oh and I may need to look into relationship counselling

Firstly a Huge Well done and Thank you to Tim Wootton and to all the featured artist

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK

Mark Andrews
Paul Bartlett
Robert Bateman
David Bennett
Arthur Bishop
Adam Bowley
John Busby
Alan Dalton
Adrian Dancy
Nick Derry
Paschalis Dougalis
Andrew Ellis
Angela French
Paul Hawkyard
Debby Kaspari
Ed Keeble
Szabolcs Kokay
Peter Mathios
Clive Meredith
Jocelyn Oudesluys
Bruce Pearson
Jonathan Pointer
Chris Rose
Beth Rosenkoeffer
John Threlfall
Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe
Esther Tyson
Franciscus Van Boxtel
Barry Van Dusen
Katrina Van Grouw
Juan Varela (all I can say if you haven't seen it already is wait until you see the drake Shoveler.....WOW)
Mike Woodcock
Darren Woodhead
Tim Wootton

New Wildlife Blog!

2011-04-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

I have just launched a new wildlife blog for my work (Jollydays Luxury Camping) in Buttercrambe Wood, North Yorkshire. It is basically a breakdown of wildlife sightings from the wood that I passively see when I am working around the camp.

I hope at some point to actively have days whereby I go and record wildlife in the wood but at the minute I'm far to busy planting trees and maintaining the woodland/camp to justify roving in the search of fauna and flora.

I hope you enjoy the blog and PLEASE excuse the light hearted-ness of it as it is aimed at an audience that may not necessarily have as much knowledge regarding British Wildlife as the regular followers of this blog have.

http://jollywilddays.blogspot.com/

Thanks Once Again For all of Your Support

Follow Spurn On Twitter

2011-04-03T12:02:00.001-07:00

Visit the Spurn Website

http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/

and recieve regular items of news and information about Spurn, birds and moths.

An Artist in Focus 'Bringing Birds to Life'

2011-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Following on from my poor attempt at illustrating gulls I thought I would post a bit about one of the masters of gull illustration and bird art as a whole.

I hope Martin Elliott doesn't mind me scanning a few pages from backdated issues of Birding World and British Birds in order to demonstrate to those who haven't come across him and his work (which is very unlikely)just how amazing he is at bringing birds to life through graphite, ink and paint.

Not only is he a massive inspiration to me but when I open the Gulls and Skua plates in The Handbook of Bird Identification:For Europe and the Western Palearctic I disappear into the pages and its as if I am seawatching at Spurn in September.

To be able to achieve this through a brush and paint is simply magical. Anyone who has attempted to illustrate larids whether it be for field notes or descriptions knows just how difficult they are to depict correctly. Martin Elliott not only nails their structure but also all plumage/age types with immense accuracy.

A little known treasure on Fair Isle is a Martin Elliott original situated in a certain croft in the south of the island depicting a Red-flanked Bluetail.

I don' t know how many times I went inside the croft during my two year stint on Fair Isle but every time I did I would make a beeline for his piece and gawp at it!

For that 30 seconds or so I would look at it I would disappear into my own little world and imagine what it must be like to find one of those little eastern gems at the base of a dyke with the noises, smells and seascapes of Shetland surrounding you and a bird that has quite easily never been seen by human eyes since it fledged from a stunning nest in the boreal zone!

I apologise for sounding like Billy Elliot but I just love his stuff and still get excited every time I pick up a new edition of Birding World in case his work features in one of the articles

The following are a few examples of his work and I just hope you enjoy them as much as I do and hope he doesn't mind me reproducing them on my blog for people to enjoy just as much as me.

Scillonian pelagic Fea's Petrel, Martin Elliott

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Norfolk 1989, Martin Elliott

Subalpine Warbler, Martin Elliott

Portland Pipit, 1989, Martin Elliott (Richard's Pipit)

Golden-winged Warbler, Kent 1989, Martin Elliott

Another incredible Artist and Larid Illustrator that has to be checked out is Hans Larsson who illustrated The Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America

Another very talented Swede who's work is truly beautiful stuff!

http://www.hanslarsson.net/

Ring-billed Gull, Mirfield

2011-04-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Whilst unpacking my art into my new flat I realised I had forgotten to unpack and even scan for that matter these sketches from late 2010.

Mick Turton very kindly took me to see the Ring-billed Gull at Sand Lane Gravel Pits, Mifield, West Yorkshire.

After waiting patiently and sifting through the roosting Black-headed Gull(including the odd metal ringed and darvic ringed bird)Mick eventually picked up the gull dropping in to have a preen alongside the other gulls on the ice.

These are some sketches I pieced together from records shots of the bird (generously provided by Mick) and visual memories I had of the bird.

Unfortunately I have really poor circulation in my extremeties and in cold conditions it makes it very difficult indeed to get the dexterity I require to sketch in the field.

Dan Ashton-Booth's Blog (Mod-Dan-Art)

2011-03-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

I thought I would upload some art by my dad to mark the opening of his new blog.

http://danashton-boothart.blogspot.com/

He is a very different artist to me but does take a lot of inspiration from other organisms around him, which may help explain where I get my passion for illustrating birds and wildlife

He has never formally taught me but played a large part in my artistic development as a child by encouraging me to draw....I just wish he had got me using watercolours and acrylics at a very young age so I could paint as well as he can

Thank you Dad

In keeping with the bird them rather than the bovine theme (his personal favourite)I thought I would upload three of his paintings containing birds in some shape or form that may not be anatomically accurate as such (sorry dad) but lend themselves very well to his style

Ray Turley 1949-2011

2011-03-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take this opportunity to pay tribute to Ray Turley who sadly past away earlier this year. Although I never personally met him I felt compelled to celebrate his life in my own way having enjoyed many of his illustrations and paintings in the past

May he rest in peace and his artwork being enjoyed for many years to come

Little Terns

2011-03-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

Having had the pleasure to be the Little Tern Warden at Spurn for Two years I know just how special it is to get eggs to downy chicks and downy chicks on the wing.

Therefore when Mike Pilsworth (in charge (along with Adam Hutt) of the Little Tern Protection Scheme at Easington Lagoons, Spurn) asked me to illustrate the signage that will be put in place to help protect this very charismatic species, I jumped at the chance. Not only do Little Terns need all the help they can get but deserve it for being such a beautiful addition to our breeding British seabirds.

I wish the warden(s), the terns and the Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers the best of look this year and hope 2011 is a very successful breeding year.

A Sad Loss!

2011-03-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

What ever happened to the days when stunning black and white vignettes graced the pages of our Ornithological Journals?

What happened to scraper board?

and what ever happened to a lot of the artists that produced them?

Ive uploaded a small selection of the type of work I am talking about and would love to think that one day I may see it again in Birdwatch, Birdwatching, British Birds, Birding World (At least Birding World has held on to having artwork decorate the front cover) alongside the fantastic photography that decorates the pages in these periodicals.

Black Stork (Phil Jones)

Greenshank on Nest (Andrew Shaw)

Dawn Goosanders (Peter M. Leonard)

Dusky Warbler (Brian Small)

Common Terns (John Cox)

Dartford Warbler (Brian Small)

Upland Sandpiper (Martin Hallam)

Northern Oriole (Ian Lewington)

Pallas's Warbler (Gary Wright)

Great Snipe (Martin Hallam)

In my eyes it has just as much right to be there than any high resolution image and encapsulates a bird a whole lot better than a full frame close up of a bird in which each rictal bristle is on display.

I'm not saying I don't love pin sharp close ups, as I do and a lot of the time they are essential for identification within a lot of species but would just love to see more photos whereby birds are in the surroundings and the environment/habitat has just as much voice as the bird itself.

Martin Cade of Portland Bird Observatory achieves just this and for this reason is still one of my favourite Bird photographers, I hope he doesn't mind me using his images as an example but this is what I mean and I think you will agree they look stunning.

Sorry if I sound like I'm ranting I just feel quite passionate about this subject!

Anyway these two images are my Martin Cade attempt of a Red-Backed Shrike on Fair Isle in 2009 and are some of my favourite images i have ever taken.

Cheers for the inspiration Martin and keep up the great work

P.s: If anyone feels just as strongly about this subject then simply scan your old black and white images/illustrations, old blast from the past images, vignettes you once had printed, vignettes you didn't get printed or drawings you simply love from old journals and email them to me (jackashtonbooth@hotmail.com) and I will continue to post them for the people to see and enjoy! Thanks Ever So Much and I really hope the above artists don't mind me using there work.

Thanks again Jack

Framed Cranes

2011-03-19T05:31:00.001-07:00

I was recentley sent these pictures of the Grey-crowned Cranes piece i did earlier in the year after having been framed and put up on display.

As I mentioned before, It was a pleasure to work on and even more so when you know its going to a good home and to very good people.

Yorkshire Birding

2011-03-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks for bearing with me, ive just moved to York and have only just got back on the internet and happy to say I'm working on some new pieces of art once again.

The most recent illustrations I have finished are these two I did for Yorkshire Birding. They consist of a Flamboroughs Brown Shrike and Spurns 1st winter Collared flycatcher from the autumn of 2010.

1st winter Collared Flycatcher at Spurn

2011-02-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have to admit the following bird was one of the hardest things I have ever had to illustrate. I usually do a few draft illustrations prior to finishing something that I feel comfortable with and allow to go to print.

However with this particular bird I must have done several sketches before I even began to like the look of what I had drawn.

With a bird as subtle as this meant I had to mainly base my work on photo reference and compiled the sketch from a medley of several images. This piece is not going to print in Yorkshire Birding but this is one that I feel relatively happy with and think it conveys Collared Flycatcher rather than Pied Fly.

It is slightly tilted which tends to happen when birds are in the hand resulting from the bird being off balance and being unable to readjust its weight accordingly resulting from the legs being held in situ.

I have uploaded three scans of the same illustration and will upload the one I decided to use in Yorkshire Biridng once it goes to print.

Siberian Rubythroat

2011-02-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

During the winter I was commisioned to illustrate this 1st winter Female Siberian Rubythroat that turned up on Fair Isle on the 23rd of October 2005

It was for a christmas present for the one of the observers who identified the bird around midway on a magical Fair Isle day.

Done and Dusted!

2011-02-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

I have just received these images from Deryk of the picture up on the wall for people to enjoy!

For me there is nothing more rewarding...Awesome Stuff.

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending!

2011-01-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

The following piece was one I completed in late autumn last year. I was asked by Roger Riddington if I would like to work on a piece that the Fair Ilse Bird Observatory Committee could present to Deryk and Hollie Shaw to thank them for 12 years as Warden and Administrator at the Bird Observatory.

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of meeting Hollie and Deryk Shaw or has ever stayed at the Obs will agree that they will be 'Irreplaceable'

I was honoured to be asked to do a piece like this and loved every minute of it.

It was a little more technical than I first envisaged and was one I will never forget as it taught me a lot about the planning and spatial awareness involved in composition containing such small illustrations.

The Finished Piece

Arctic Skuas (Adult and Juvenile)

Scops Owl

Savannah Sparrow

Siberian Rubythroat

Siberian Thrush

Brown Shrike

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Brown Flycatcher

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle Warbler)

Thick-billed Warbler

I chose the Birds based on Fair Isle's Avian Highlights of the past 12 years and orientated them around the Observatories emblem and one of Deryk's favourite birds the Arctic Skua.

I would also like to say a massive thank you to Brian Wilson for framing the work and for generally being a great man and a personal inspiration

I wish Hollie, Del, Lachlan and Kids all the luck in the future and all the best to the new wardens David and Susannah Parnaby

Random Bits & Pieces!

2011-01-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

The following are a few illustrations I decided to upload having found them tucked away whilst sorting through my stuff. The majority were done donkeys years ago and a few were done quite recently. Personally I'm a little embarrassed to upload these pieces but thought I must as art is all about the personal exploration with different mediums and techniques. Just as Bird evolve Bird art is constantly evolving thats what makes it so addictive.

Grey-crowned Cranes

2011-01-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most recent pieces of work I have recently finished. Although I have done my best to edit the colour balance on these photos they still make my my work look slightly blue. I can assure your that these pictures don't depict the proper hues of the work accurately.

It was a great piece to work on and even better doing it for people I care about.
I got a taste for large pieces of work and intend to work on this scale again shortly when I get the chance to paint on canvass.

I have never drawn cranes before and soon got sucked in by their beauty!

Bird Calendar

2011-01-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas I was asked by Lucía Echeverrigaray (a Graphic Designer from Uruguay) if she could use my art on a calender she was making. I was honoured that she asked me and had no problems at all with her request. The following images are a few of the finishing items she made for her family. A truly lovely idea and one I was happy to help out with.

I HAVE A LOT OF ART COMING SOON, I'M JUST WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO EITHER RECEIVE THE WORK OR PUBLISH IT AND THEN IT CAN BE UPLOADED!

Thanks for following we. Jack

Jog On Härfågel!

2011-01-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Although my illustrations are predominantly serious I do occasionally draw events that are little more comical and used to spend some of the more boring university lectures sat doodling.

Nine times out of ten these doodles would involve wildlife in some form and another. Not only did these drawings help waste time but they would hone drawing techniques and kept styles fresh in my head for when I put pen or pencil to paper for real.

The following doodle was one I did for Johan Nilsson (just another cracking Swede from a country that seems to only produce nice people) as a leaving gift to wish him the best of luck after he spent a season studying Starlings on Fair Isle during the summer of 2010.

Johan Nilsson (fully clothed)

The sketch depicts him on one of his daily jogs (usually always half naked).....however this jog was like no other.

Unbeknown to him he was being watched by most of the birding fraternity on Fair Isle, well when I say watched I mean he was more of a naked blur in the periphery of people's optics whilst they watched a Hoopoe/Harfagel and he ran down the road.

Before we knew it we were watching a Hoopoe-less dyke and had full frame views of a bewildered Johan wondering why a group of Brits were watching him through binoculars and scopes jogging half nude!

It materialised that Johan was unaware of the Hoopoe and hadn't even realised he had flushed it. Fortunatley for everyone watching and for Johan the bird was relocated the next day and was well watched by everyone including a now fully clothed Johan!

I can't help but feel sorry for the Hoopoe and would love to know what it was thinking when it looked up and saw Johan coming down the hill towards it in hot pants (not so hot pants if you have 60x eyepiece).........no wonder it relocated to Shetland!

Redhead Smew

2011-01-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

After an awesome morning watching my first Ring-billed Gull (update to follow) and sifting through Common and Black-headed Gulls sat on the ice at Mirfield, Mick Turton and I headed to Wintersett Reservoir. Having never been to Wintersett I was pretty amazed by the place especially given the number of birds forced close in to the hides as a result of the encroaching ice. After hearing a few stories from Mick (including the time he found Yorkshires first Lesser Scaup) I was really warming to the place and was thinking to myself that I wouldn't mind returning with my watercolours.

This thought was soon a reinforced on the discovery of a Redhead Smew diving in amongst Goosander in front of the hide! It was a great end to the day and I couldn't take my eyes of her. Absolutely Beautiful!

By the way if anyone comes across a Gouache Tube by the name of GOOSANDER! Please let me know.......that colour is phenomenal especially against the ice.

Legends, legendary times and legendary Birds!

2011-01-04T09:24:00.001-08:00

This video depicts everything I love about John Busby, Gannets and Bird Art!

Simply a living Legend.........Inspirational is an understatement!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x4VXlglmfk

At 12 minutes he Beautifully sums up not only why he is one of the all time MASTERS of Bird Illustration (persisting in adverse weather conditions) but also Shetland when its windy:

" As much to deter an artist and make life difficult as there is to inspire"

Fortunately in my last year on Fair Isle Deryk (another living legend) took me down a rather skinny sheep track at Guidicum with Simon and Lachlan to ring Gannets and their chicks.

I was Blown away. Not literally, but by the shear beauty of a Gannet Colony!

I can't thank him enough as I have never been anywhere or experienced anything quite like it, you simply drift away into another world............If you have never done it you most definitely should or sit near to one.....it is a far more beautiful world than the one humans share with their neighbours!

Although I look like a cabbage in all my gear I assure you it is necessary! Take a look at what an ultra-aggressive adult did to my arm and imagine what they can do if they went for your eyes!

Me and an Adult

Lachlan with an adult

Si with another Adult

Downy Chick

Adult with Downy Chick

Me cutting free a well grown chick having got itself entangled in fishing netting used to construct the nest mound

Deryk minding the youngsters

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-23T06:13:00.001-08:00

WISHING Everyone I Know, Everyone who has supported me through 2010 and Everyone who reads my blog an Amazing Christmas and New Year

I can't THANKYOU enough, Jack Ashton-Booth

A BEAUTY LIKE NO OTHER!

2010-12-15T02:20:00.000-08:00

For me there is nothing more Beautiful than nestlings. None more so than Wader Chicks that seem to have their a beauty unique to themselves! Not only do they breed in equally beautiful environments but are extremely hard to see which makes it all the more fantastic when you lay eyes on them!

A lifelong dream of mine and my best friend Rael's is to visit the High Arctic to see Nesting Waders and Wader Nestlings but as I'm not made of money I have to settle with the next best thing and that's illustrating them.

I thought I would Illustrate these Turnstone Chicks to override the winter blues that were eating away at me last year. Although my drawing may not be scientifically correct to a keen arctic botanist makes no odds to me as sometimes the beauty of illustration is the ability to bend the truth that photographers struggle to achieve.

If anyone one is looking for someone to illustrate a wader chick or nestling identification guide I would be more than happy to and can't think of anything in life more enjoyable!

The Process of EGG - FLEDGLING is just Phenomenal!

(In reality this drawing is a lot more rich in colour which unfortunately hasn't come across from the scanning it)- This piece is also FOR SALE if anyone is interested- email : jackashtonbooth@hotmail.com

A painful 'SNIFF'

2010-12-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

This Squacco Heron Illustration has to be one of the most painful illustrations I have ever done in all the time I've been drawing birds. Not because I have never seen one in Yorkshire, or the fact it was at Spurn but the fact I received a text message from my girlfriend that simply read: 'SNIFF'.

In my circle of Yorkshire Birding mates this simply means I watching a bird you didn't see, or in the case of 'SNIFF, SNIFF', I've just found a bird you've never seen or aren't watching and you should be.

Usually I wouldn't be fussed by either of these types of messages (Pine Grosbeak excluded) but given the fact my girlfriend had just seen Yorkshire’s first Squacco Heron since June 1994 and has no real interest in birds apart Puffins and the odd comment like 'is that a Penguin' or 'is that a Goldcrest' whilst shes sat with me drawing I had good reason to be a little annoyed!

To make matters worse she has also seen (and basically found) Great White Egret at Spurn that I am still yet to see at Spurn even though I was with her at the time.To be fair to myself I was relocating some Ringed Plover Chicks whilst I was a Little Tern Warden to avoid them getting trampled and had missed what she described as a White Grey Heron flying over her, that was soon picked up by Adam Hutt and Steve Lidster going south east out to sea! GREAT...........what next GREAT BLUE HERON

Fortunatley for me I had made some good observations and had some photo reference of Scuacco Herons I had observed in Bosnia

The King Eider escaped her detection thankfully and was a pleasure to draw! I was in quite an agitated mood whilst I drew it which may go to explain the harsh pencil lines achieved with a soft water soluble pencil and bleeding some ink from a child's handwriting pen

This next piece is a blueprint for a piece I am debating using in the forthcoming Spurn Bird Report that depicts both Lapland and Snow Buntings taking to the air after being flushed by a fox. I'm still undecided and intend to continue working on some other ideas. I May just give in on water soluble pencils

The Next Generation!

2010-12-08T03:59:00.000-08:00

The following two pieces are illustrations given to me by two smashing lads on Fair Isle, who have undoubtedly got an eye for illustration. All the families and kids on Fair Ilse seem to have this ability to capture their surroundings and are extremely creative. The island seems to have a magical way of bringing the creative side out of everyone.

Hoopoe by Henry Hyndman

Henry did this Hoopoe for me after I saw my first on Fair Isle in Spring 2010. Although I have seen many abroad there is still nothing like seeing one in the British Isles and after missing a few at Spurn I was very eager to see one in the UK.

Thankfully Simon answered my prayers and found one sat on top of Vaadal Trap. It remained in this vicinity for a few days around the Vaadal Ditch area and even went to roost in the plantation much to my surprise one morning trap round as it shot out of the fir tree in back of the trap. However due to the north westerly wind the bird got height quickly and flew over my head and out of the mouth of the trap! Sorry Deryk!

The bird would often disappear for sometime and would be usually be relocated by the Starling researchers checking the starling nests in the dyke's. I vividly remember Jane Reid texting me 'HOOPOE ROCKET STATION'. At this time I didn't have a clue what or where the Rocket Station was and thought she was tipping me off about a new band!

I later discovered it was the building halfway up Hill Dyke and proceeded to watch it with Jane and Del as it fed in the west side of Vaadal Ditch where Del and I managed to get some record shots of the bird. After its departure a Hoopoe appeared on mainland Shetland and may as well have been our bird continuing to delight other observers.

Releasing a Hoopoe after it was Ringed in Eilat (Not Fair Ilse Unfortunately)

Scooty Allan's (Arctic Skuas) by Lowri Best

I am very grateful indeed for this drawing from Lowri as my Fair Ilse experience would have been the same without these birds. Having spent the past two summers working so closely with these birds you get encapsulated by them. I cant begin to explain what a privilege it was to monitor their nests, monitor the chicks and watch the lucky few flegde to begin their trans-equatorial migration! THEIR SIMPLY AMAZING!

A chick from one of my favourite pairs, isolated well away from the main nucleus of breeding Scootys on the island! Unsurprisingly this beautiful little chick failed as did its sibling the year before

SOME VERY GOOD EGGS!

2010-12-06T02:08:00.000-08:00

This post is really just a great big THANK YOU to some very good eggs I have had the pleasure to meet on my northern adventures. Firstly to Rebecca Nason and Phil Harris for everything they have done for me and for some amazing moments had on Fair Isle (none more so than the Waxwing Fest (feeding from out of our hands at times....MIND BLOWING!)

Rebecca and Phil sent me the following photo that captured another of my favourite memories from Fair Isle that involved a superb pair of Hooded Crows that constructed one of the most beautiful nests I have ever seen near to the cliff edge in one of the Geos on Fair Isle. Over a period of weeks I watched the assembly of the nest from a few dried kelp stems until it was lined, eggs were laid and the chicks hatched....Unfortunately due to the workload at the Obs Deryk, Simon and Myself didn't get the chance to ring them before the stunning chicks fledged!

This photo is just one of many that can be viewed at
http://shetlandexposure.blogspot.com/
and is a classic example of how Rebecca is in my opinion more of an artist than a photographer and seems to look at birds in a completely different light than a lot of her fellow leading wildlife photographers!

Another cracking egg, cracking birder and cracking artist is Will Miles who sent me this Olive-backed Pipit painting as a memoir of my first Olive-backed Pipit! I had many great conversations with Will about life and birds (especially whilst trying to catch petrels)and learnt a lot from him. What Will doesn't know about Leach's Storm Petrels and European Storm Petrels is probably not worth knowing and is a true birder who gets the same excitement from a migrant Dunnock coming in off the sea than he does finding vagrants from the far east!

THANKS ONCE AGAIN GUYS!

A DREAM INVASION: a ROUGH sketch!

2010-11-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Although this is a very rushed sketch I thought I would upload it anyway as it conveys everything I love about birding! There isn't a lot that can beat a migrant raptor as stunning as a Rough-legged Buzzard coming in or going out to sea on migration!

To think of what northern habitat they lived in, fledged in or what they have seen or have yet to see is simply MIND BLOWING!!!

I would love to know how many actually reached our shores and what happened to the rest of the juveniles that got lost in the North Sea!

Its a shame there isn't a Satellite Tracking Programme concerning Rough-legged Movements.

Rushed Raven

2010-11-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks for bearing with me, I'm just beginning to settle back in to reality having been in Heaven (aka Fair Isle) for the past 8 months. Here is the last drawing I did on Fair Isle. It shows a few studies of Ravens I did in a mad rush at the end of the season. The quality is also reduced due to the fact I photographed the sketch rather than scanning it but the basics are there.

I will begin to update my blog regularly again, as and when I complete minor projects (for people and work for myself) between some bigger commissions I aim to complete this winter.

I'm very excited to be back in Yorkshire drawing and painting but seriously miss Fulmars! Its good to be back though

Radde's Warbler

2010-10-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

The 13th of October was a superb day thanks to a Stunning and very Showy Long-eared Owl at the shop and thanks to Rebecca Nason for finding a Radde's Warbler at Schoolton Crop. I could bore your to death with illustrations of Long eared's, as I have a lot of them (I could draw them all day and would if I had the chance).

So have decided to post a Radde's Sketch that I have Given to Rebecca Nason as a thank you for finding this Siberian Gem.

Hearing the news that Rebecca had just found a Radde's I ran from Upper Stoneybreck to Schoolton via the shop and had to run past the LEO that just sat and followed me with the smoothest rotation of its head. Ive never known anything like it and it looked like something Jim Henson had created as it was completely fearless and simply BEAUTIFUL!

I find Radde's Warblers very tricky to draw as their heads always adopt funny shapes, as do Bonelli's Warblers, especially the point between where the head meets the base of the bill. The only bird illustrator that I have ever come across that really does them any Justice has to be Killian Mullarney and still cant believe that they left his little Water Colour of the Radde's in the Brambles out of the 2nd edition of Collins Bird Guide....That was one of the best bits in it! 'Personally I'm GUTTED'

I just hope you never see any of my early drawings of Radde's Warbler and apologise if you have.

More Recent Artwork!

2010-10-03T08:22:00.001-07:00

Just some stage by stage work, playing around with shapes and line techniques with a lapwing as the subject

Recent Artwork!

2010-10-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Given the fact the island hosted 2 Red-flanked Bluetails (on the same day)I thought it was only right that I should do a sketch of one. I am giving this illustration to Rob Hughes as a little memoir of the bird he found and as a thankyou for finding a such a beautiful bird for everyone to appreciate.

Another Illustration I have done was one I have been intending to do for a while but haven't got round to doing was of a Red-throated Pipit. However, as it was the finder of the birds birthday it gave me a good excuse to do it. Becki Rosser (The Fair Isle Bird Observatory General Assistant)found a Stunning male Red-throated Pipit in the spring at Lower Leogh and I thought I would do her a quick illustration as a birthday gift.

I intend to do many more Red-throated Pipit drawings (especially adult spring birds)as I want to try and capture the face properly. I find their face really interesting especially the feather contours/shapes around the gape and the lores which gives them such an unique expression.

This one was especially unique in having a warm red wash from the vent all the way up to the lores making it stand out a mile on the dykes, especially in the warm red evening sunlight.

Life on the Magic island!

2010-10-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have literally just got back in after ringing a Lanceolated Warbler very kindly given to me by Deryk this afternoon and thought I would take the chance to update my blog whilst I calm down after seeing such a cracking little bird in the hand!

This job is simply crazy, one minute you have a gem from the far east in the hand and the next your sat in an office next to an original Eric Ennion painting!

Cetacean Watching

2010-09-16T12:38:00.001-07:00

Here is a drawing of a Risso's Dolphin breaching just offshore from the South Lighthouse on Fair Isle. Although this species is a little out of my comfort zone as it doesnt have feathers it was still nice to illustrate. I recievied a phone call from the islanders in the south saying the cetaceans were popping up left, right and centre and although I missed a single Orca (thats 8 ive missed now), I did happen to catch up with a nice group of Risso's (with some individuals breaching regularly), a pod of Harbour Porpoises and a Minke Whale really close in. The sea was incredible and due to a porlonged period of no wind the sea was like a glass.

Savi's Warbler (Oldmoor, South Yorkshire 2010)

2010-09-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

These were a couple of drawings I did for Yorkshire Birding following the discovery of the Yorkshires 23rd Savi's Warbler earlier on in May at Oldmoor, Barnsley. I did quite a few mock ups of this species and although I wasn't completely satisfied with these two, I thought they were the best in expressing the subtleties of such a species (The 2nd Illustration below was printed in the article).

WeBS Report Front Cover

2010-09-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

I was very kindly asked to do the WeBS report front cover (Waterbirds in the UK 2008/09) by Chas Holt and here is the finished article. It features a juvenile Ruff surrounded by Tundra Habitat. I thoroughly enjoyed working on it and realised just how different working within parameters is compared to producing a piece of work that could be suitable for a front cover of a journal/book without meaning it to be, if you get my gist.

The Final Piece

2010-08-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is the final piece that I did for Roy Dennis that i have only just got around to posting. Although it is poorly scanned and spliced, I hope you get a sense of what It looks like in its entirety.

Bird Illustrated (Clockwise from Top Left)

Sardinian Warbler
Song Sparrow
Pallas's Warbler
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Olive-backed Pipit
Osprey
Syke's Warbler
Black-throated Diver
Upland Sandpiper
Cory's Shearwater
Little Ringed Plover
White-winged Black Tern
White-tailed Eagle & Eaglet

Syke's Warbler

2010-08-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

Given the recent occurrences of this species in Shetland and Northumberland I thought it was rather appropriate to upload this sketch of a bird caught in August 1959 on Fair Isle by Roy Dennis. This bird was the 1st British record and was one of the birds I included In Roy Dennis's Retirement Piece.

Spring 2010 (Work in Progress)

2010-07-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say Ive finally got the Scanner working properly in the Obs Office so have been able to upload some of my spring work. Some of it is clearly unfinished but I aim to upload the finished pieces as soon as I have the time to complete the work. I believe art is as much about the development of the work than it is the finished piece. The majority of the work is orientated around the AMAZING island life on Fair Isle, apart from the Hawfinch which was caught at Spurn.(Ive been practicing drawing/painting Wheatears this year quite a bit as they allow great views for proper study unlike the Hoopoe that didn't know the meaning of a perch! (I aim to upload a painting of the Hoopoe later on this year hopefully))

HAWFINCH

Caught and Ringed at Spurn Bird Observatory

Male Wheatear

The Rippack, Fair Isle

White-throated Sparrow

Found around the Bird Observatory plantation by Simon Davies, one of the twelve+ to have graced the British Isles this spring. Great bird found by a great birder!

Male Wheatear

Fair Isle

Blue Fulmar

On the sea in Hesswalls, Fair Isle

Female Wheatear

Easter Lother Reservoir, Fair Isle

(colour reproduction from scanning it has made it very grey)

Golden Oriole

A Quick line drawing of a very beautiful bird sat on the fence just east of the Auld Haa just before it continued to tour the islands crofts in true Golden Oriole Style! IT IS CRYING OUT FOR COLOUR!

Dead Meadow Pipit Chick

Eas Brecks

Poor weather at the beginning of the nesting season was very hard indeed on the first broods and it wasn't uncommon to find the odd dead brood of chicks that had succumb to the hard weather

Turtle Dove

Fair Isle Bird Observatory grounds

This bird turned up one fogging morning just outside the library windows of the Observatory and fed on what was presumably small seeds left exposed on the bare earth.It stayed for a few days and was a real crowd pleaser, especially given that they are not easy to see these days given their dramatic population decline.It was a perfect subject to study as it fed just feet away from the windows in the lounge and the office.

Pigs

Setter, Fair Isle

I rarely draw domestic animals but these three piglets were impossible not to sketch as they were encapsulating. I made some small sketches in my 10cm X 5cm notebook whilst on migrant census and then worked from the sketches in my room to compose this little messy ink study.
(Unfortunately the scanner hasn't picked up on the colours very well so appears a lot colder than the original is.....I will work it out eventually I hope)

Back Dated Work (2009)

2010-07-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sticking with the theme of pen and ink, these are a few illustrations I recently found that I completed back in the autumn of 2009. Two of them depict a Booted Warbler from two very different angles that was found at Spurn and the other is of a Great Shearwater stalling in flight on finding some edible flotsam off the Yorkshire Coast. One of the Booted Warblers and the Great Shearwater were used in Yorkshire Birding magazine and the other Booted (facing forward) was just a practice to get a feeling for the warbler that is a master at Shape Shifting and assuming strange positions on perching.

Pen Work

2010-07-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

When I'm not working on artwork for people I love to get my pens out and just play around in inks. The Raven was quite a detailed illustration and was a challenge given that i had to create the birds shape/contours using only the light reflecting off the all black plumage. The Arctic Warbler was just me messing about and a half hearted attempt just to regain my pen techniques after not using them for a while (I just love ink work)

Roy Dennis's Piece

2010-07-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more illustrations that featured on the piece I did for Roy Dennis. At this stage they were not completed and I enjoy taking photos or scanning my work midway thorugh a piece to see my own work as it develops. It is also good if you accidentley overwork an illustration as you can see where you want wrong and have something that can be used despite making an error.

Olive-backed Pipit

Sardinian Warbler

Online Again!

2010-07-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bit of work I had been working on during the evenings after finishing my daily seabird work in June. It shows the working stages of a drawing depicting a juvenile White-tailed Sea Eagle from its beginning to completion. This single illustration is part of a collective piece I have recently finished, that was commissioned by fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust to present to Roy Dennis who retires this year as Chairman of Fair Isle Bird Observatory. The A3 finished piece comprises of 13 Species and represents the birds that sit highly in Roy's memories of Fair Isle, Shetland and in the amazing work he has done and still does for Scottish Wildlife Conservation. Some of the birds were either firsts for Fair Isle, Shetland or Britain (some all three)and just reinforces how amazing his knowledge of birds is. The piece was one of the nicest projects i have worked on to date and i thoroughly enjoyed doing it, especially for one of my hero's. I aim to post the entire piece once i have scanned it properly and intend to post each individual piece in detail once i have broken it down. Anyway its very good to be back on my blog again and hope you enjoy my work (Sorry for the quality of the images, I photographed them rather than scanned them as the scanner wasnt working)

Hello Again!

2010-05-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Again and Thanks ever so much for bearing with me. Being back on Fair Isle is AMAZING! But the only downside is finding the time to turn my head away from STUNNING birds, scenery and Landscapes and turning it towards a computer screen to update my blog. I promise i will try to update it with a couple of pieces weekly from now on so please stick with me and thank you once again for the endless words of encouragement.

The following three pieces of work are illustrations i did for the recently published Spurn Wildlife 2009 that can be found on the Spurn bird Observatory website (www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk) and is a lovely looking journal in its entirety.

I have only just posted them as the report has just this minute be made public. They depict a brood of Sparrowhawk chicks in the Crown & Anchor Car Park (the 1st successful breeding by this species), Barnacle Geese migrating at Sea, Bullfinches feeding on Nettle Seeds in the Autumn and Twite feeding on the shore just of the Lighthouse. I hope you like them as much as i enjoyed illustrating them, although the Sparrohawk nest was pain staking it was brilliant fun to do.

Thank Once Again

Jack

Sorry Once Again!

2010-03-30T12:47:00.001-07:00

I have to apologise once again for the lack of regular posting. I have just moved back on to Fair Isle for the year and have no Internet coverage at the minute. When i move into the new bird observatory i will re-commence art and regular posts as quickly as i physically can depending on how much spare time i have to do so. I will be very busy in the forthcoming weeks but intend to get some nice island artwork on my blog asap encompassing birds, wildlife and island life. Thanks once again for all your support and please bear with me. Jack

Ringed Plover

2010-03-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

On beginning this painting i loved working on it but began regretting one to many brush strokes around the eye that gave the juvenile bird a an evil facial expression rather than the naive and bright eyed appearance i love to look at in this species. This isn't to say i wasn't happy with the technique that i used and do intend to apply to future paintings that require detail. Although it didn't scan very well i hope you can see what i mean in the face.

Drawing Plans/Blueprints

2010-03-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

These are a few sketches i did and always try to do prior to working on a final drawing of a bird. Not only does it help me to feel the bird but also helps me to plan the posture of the bird and the birds proportions. They are usually very rudimentary and gestural and suggest what the bird is rather than depicting its full feather topography. Its more of a shaped based and structural sketch! not a final piece in any respect

Western Bonelli's Warbler

(not an easy bird to draw in the slightest and i haven't even got close or don't think i will ever get close to doing this species justice...either way their stunning)

Thrush Nightingale

Eurasian Jay

Sorry

2010-03-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to apologise for the lack of recent updates. Its a very busy time for me as im working on pieces of art due pretty soon and am trying to prepare for my up and coming season on Fair Isle. Once the work is published i will get it on my blog as soon as possible. Thankyou once again for all your support. Jack

Recent Work

2010-02-25T02:23:00.000-08:00

This is some of my most recent complete work. It was intended for the 2009 Spurn Nature Review but due to a pigment in the fibre in the paper it unfortunately didn't scan properly. I am a bit annoyed but at the end of the day it was my fault and i should have realised. Its not to much of a blow because i get the chance to quickly paint another Subalpine warbler which is great fun as their facial structure is a great challenge.

The Supalpine Warbler was a spring bird found at the point by Mick Turton along with a continental coal tit and the Red-flanked Bluetail was found by a day visitor on the parade ground following one around the Crown & Anchor car park just days before.The Great Northern Divers are part of a group of birds that were blogging on the sea during late autumn and well throughout the winter.

WHAT A PLACE!

Eastern Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans albistriata

Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus

Great Northen Divers Gavia immer

The Rivers Movement (Birds & Climate Change)

2010-02-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a fantastic day for me not only in terms of my development but in terms of putting my pen to paper for a good cause and something i am passionate about.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to join the 'Rivers Movement' that is an award winning body that aims to create awareness of climate change by means of art, poetry, science, and technology. http://www.theriversmovement.org.uk

During the day each member of the group aimed to produce work to convey how they felt about climate change and the amount of work that was produced was governed by their age. Ages ranged from 20 years of age to 73 years of age and as i am 23 years of age i produced 23 drawings of 23 SPECIES OF BIRD affected by climate change (both postive and negative consequences). Obviously because i aimed to complete the work within a day with the group in Barnsley Town Centre my work was very loose and gestural and i simply loved the whole day, even the knuckle cramps by the end of it.

It was great to hone my quick sketching techniques and to get some exposure concerning a subject that is not necessarily obvious to members of the public.

(Enclosed are some photos of the exhibition room and workshop)

I have featured 22 pieces of my work below that i did during this project. The 23rd piece isn't featured because it was used in an exhibition as it is more ambiguous. The 23rd piece consists of a Caged Canary that features the quote 'AS OFTEN BEFORE BIRDS ARE ACTING LIKE THE CANARIES IN A MINE SHAFT AND ARE GIVING US EARLY WARNING OF DANGEROUS CHANGE'. I felt that this was not only very appropriate but may help to create a spark in the minds of People with mining connections on the subject of climate change.

1.Song Thrush (Wetter Summers=More prey available)

2. Pied Flycatcher (Early Arrival Dates out of Synchrony with prey)

3.Blackcap (Milder Winters)

4.Chiffchaff (Milder Winters)

5.Dartford Warbler (Milder Winters)

6.Common Whitethroat(Desertification)

7.Cetti's Warbler (Milder Winters)

8.Barn Swallow (Long Distant migrant that may not adapt fast enough)

9.Bewick's Swan (At their lowest Numbers for 30 years)

10.Common Cuckoo (Desertification)

11.Ptarmigan (Decline in average mountain snowpack)

12.Ringed Plover (Mild Winters/More Individuals Wintering)

13.Lapwing (Milder Winters=Winter Crops)
14.Siberian Crane (Arctic habitat set to deline by 70%)

15.Red-breasted Goose (67% Habitat Loss Predicted by 2070)

16.Balearic Shearwater (Warming Seas)

17.Ivory Gull (Melting Pack Ice)

18.Arctic Tern (Marine Instability)

19.Razorbill (Marine Instability)

20.Common Guillemot (Marine Instability)

21.Black-legged Kittiwake (Marine Instability)

22. Atlantic Puffin (Marine Instability)

Bullfinches (forthcoming work)

2010-02-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

These are the mock up drawings for one of my pieces in the new Spurn Nature Review 09.Like a lot of artists i don't believe in showing people work before it is printed as it destroys the element of surprise and the beauty of opening a journal/book etc and seeing your work printed/shown for the first time at that precise moment if you know what i mean. I thought however that it may be nice to show these preliminary/rough sketches of the bullfinches to be incorporated into my piece.

More Old Works

2010-02-21T11:13:00.001-08:00

I was rooting through some of my folders in my USB's the other day and found these old photos of work i did back in the summer of 2006 whilst a Little Tern Warden at Easington Lagoons (Spurn).I did them to decorate the pages of my Tern Report as they highlight the outcome of my two seasons as warden. My first season (2006)the majority of the chicks (apart from 4 that fledged) were predated by a fox that jumped the perimeter poultry fence we had erected to protect the chicks. In my second season (2007)a combination of very wet weather, predation by foxes and nocturnal predation thought probably to be a Barn Owl resulted in no chicks fledging.

Woodchat Shrike (continued)

2010-02-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

Continuing on from my last post i wanted to show you all this picture i completed a while back now 07/08 i think. It was one of the first Woodchats i drew and was printed in Yorkshire Birding and represented a spring bird that was found at Spurn and frequented the triangle.Looking back on it it is clear that i did to much work on the bird and the foliage looks to over worked. I still like it though and still provokes excitement in me when i look at it as it reminds me of the joys of spring and chance encounters with truly stunning birds like this.

Woodchat Shrike

2010-02-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

I have been birding and ringing at Spurn for the past week so have not had much time to update my blog. So this afternoon i took the opportunity to draw this 1st winter Woodchat Shrike that was found last autumn at Sammy's Point, Spurn. Although i did not get to see the bird it was very obliging and from what i gather was rather a star of last year. I intend to give the illustration to a spurn regular who was very fond of this individual in the field...UNDERSTANDABLY SO...gorgeous little thing!

Gap Fillers

2010-02-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Ive been working on all sorts recently but mainly on pieces to be published in the forth coming Spurn Nature Review (09) which is due to be printed shortly. Between each piece or whilst I'm taking a break from a piece all i want to do is more art. The following are just things that i did to kill time during my breaks from other work. They may appear to be rushed and that because they were, they just keep me busy whilst I'm working on other more important work. They simply keep my techniques in check and to maintain concentration.

The Red-flanked Bluetail i did in about ten minutes just to get a feel for the species. I am currently working on one for the report and have been struggling at late to achieve the right posture and jizz of this brilliant little bird.

The latter was inspired by a bird that made for a fantastic Autumn on Fair Isle and denotes a 1st Winter Male Blackpoll Warbler that was found in the Plantation by my colleague Simon Davies. Not only was it a day i will never forget but on seeing the faces of everyone grinning from ear to ear after a very wet and windy autumn was simply awesome.

Loose Pen Work

2010-02-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

Recently i have been using a lot of my old drawing pens just so i dont forget how to illustrate with loose lines. Last month i was working on very detailed work (not yet posted) and wanted to maintain a balance with other mediums. Its nice just to be quick and brash with a pen at times especially when you are busy with other things. The following are sketches i did quickly in gaps i had between other pieces im (or was ) working on:

Long-eared Owl

2010-01-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

I must foremost apologise to all of you who follow my blog for the lack of posts during the past couple of weeks. My thoughts have been focused elsewhere and illustration has been the last thing on my mind but I intend to regularly update my blog once again so please bear with.

From the first time i ever saw a Long-Eared Owl sat in the sand in an empty net ride at Spurn Point they have always fascinated me. Not only are they incredibly secretive but they are amongst the most beautiful and spell binding birds you are likely to see. I was extremely lucky last year to spend the best part of November on Fair Isle that consisted of daily arrivals of thrushes in from the east. These waves of immigrants were shadowed by Long-eared owls that mainly found themselves in amongst the Heligoland traps. My favourite encounters with this incredible species was a spring female that decided to sit in amongst the chickens at Schoolton and the bird i have illustrated below that i accidentally flushed from Hesti Geo before alighting on the cliff in full view around the Holmes/Dog Geo area.

Watercolours 2008

2010-01-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

These were some illustrations i worked on at the back end of 2008 and have only just got them back. They are mainly inspired by events witnessed at Spurn Bird Observatory. I'm happy with some of the results but some i didn't feel happy with either for the inaccuracy of the bird (one of the Pochards), colour reproduction (Black Redstart & Robin )or colours themselves (Mistle Thrush). I still struggle with applying colour and find it hard to achieve the right colour balance without jeopardising the light in the painting or the bird itself . However irrespective of this i love the on going up and downs that come with bird illustration (especially in watercolours) and there is nothing that would stop me painting because when your happy with a finished piece there is no better feeling in the world!

Ray Scally (NEW WEBSITE)

2010-01-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

This was a piece of artwork i was sent by Ray Scally as a Christmas present. I am sure you will agree that its a fantastic piece of work and is one i will cherish. Not only is the light in the drawing excellent but it also captures the feeling of a Collared Pratincole fantastically which is very hard to do when such an energetic bird as a pratincole is stationary. I hope on seeing this you go immediately to his NEW WEBSITE and check out his other Brilliant work at http://www.rayscally.co.uk

I'm sure like me it will be added to your Favourites instantaneously!

Thanks Once Again Ray

Siberian Thrush (The Last of my Christmas Artwork)

2009-12-31T03:23:00.000-08:00

These are some illustrations i compiled for Deryk Shaw (Fair Isle Bird Observatory Warden)as a memoir of his discovery of a 1st Winter Male Siberian Thrush on Fair Isle back in 2008 and as a thank you present for all that he did for me during 2009. Not only was he a dream boss but gave me one of the best jobs in the world. I don't know whether he has received the work yet so i just hope he opens his package before reading this.

Spectacled Eider (Christmas Work Continued)

2009-12-31T03:18:00.000-08:00

Firstly I'm SORRY for the lack of posts on my blog over the festive period i have been away at Spurn and will be continuing with on going artwork now im back much to my excitement.

The following is a piece of work i worked on for Tommy Hyndman and his family for a Christmas Present and represents his dream bird on Fair Isle where he lives. Not only is it one of the most likely place for one of these stunning birds to turn up but was a beautiful bird to illustrate. I just hope i get the chance to illustrate it in person when it arrives on our shores.

I have more posts to follow but please bear with me as some people may still not have received them as presents so am unable to post them as yet.

Stock Dove (Christmas Work Continued)

2009-12-23T03:49:00.000-08:00

I try very hard to remember peoples favourite birds they happen to mention to me during conversations. Although it may take a while before i get round to producing the a piece of work for them i always make a mental note of what they have told me and how i may go about arranging the piece in my mind. This Stock Dove painting is just such a piece and is one Ive finished for a Christmas present. Although i cant reveal who it is for as he may be following the blog, i can say he once told me that he loved Stock Doves and who can blame him. Their simply BRILLIANT and i don't think there is another bird that looks as passive or as gentle in the same way as a Stock Dove.

Robin (Christmas Work Continued)

2009-12-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

It wouldnt be christmas without a Robin illustration and i think i must draw more Robins at this time of year than any other species. Thankfully Robins for me have to be one of the best British Birds and never fail to brighten up even the dullest September or October day on the coast. Not only are they absolutely stunning but have to be one of the most character saturated species going. My ultimate dream over any rarity would be to witness a fall of Robins in the same quantity witnessed on the east coast 20 years ago. I could spend hours looking at their eyes!

Bobolink (More Christmas Work)

2009-12-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

I finished this illustration today and intend to give it to My girlfriend's Step Dad as a Christmas gift. Not only was he the finder of This Stunning Yorkshire first back in October 2001 but is also one of my many mentors and has taught me a lot about birds both in the field and in the hand. The drawing itself hasn't reproduced very well after scanning but this is unfortunately the best i could get it given my scanner. The 1st Winter Bobolink was found by Rich in the vicinity of Long Bank and showed intermittently in the long grass to a very happy crowd.I just hope he doesn't find this on my blog but think there's about as much chance as someone finding another Bobolink in Yorkshire given Rich's love of technology! LEGEND!

Christmas Art

2009-12-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

This is a drawing im working on at the minute for a Christmas present. Im yet to finish off the feet and apply the backround but im quite pleased with the results so far. I must apologise for the lack of posts and will get to work on posting more artwork once i finilise my MANY other christmas projects. Please bear with me and thanks for the endless support with the blog, means the World.

Twite

2009-12-09T03:09:00.000-08:00

This is a piece of work i had printed in the current issue of Yorkshire Birding and although i wasn't very happy with the outcome (at all) i have had some nice remarks made about the piece and once again reinforces my last post. Not only was this one of three Twite drawings i did before i was happy for it to go to print but was the quickest drawn and the least time consuming. I cant get my head around art all but love it, its addictive!

Bits & Bobs

2009-12-09T02:54:00.000-08:00

One of my main problems when drawing is knowing when to stop. There is a very fine line between getting something finished and ruining a piece of work. I am always told that the work people prefer is the work that is kept simple and simply answers the brief. The following drawings are good examples of where Ive been to heavy handed or tried adding lines that are not required. The beauty of keeping work like this is the fact i always have it there for reference and allows me to refine future work.

Ray Scally

2009-11-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

Although i don't Know Ray that well i DO KNOW his artwork is Very Good Indeed. The first time i had the chance to formally introduce myself to Ray he was walking in the company of David Quinn along Kilnsea road so i didn't feel worthy to introduce myself to two very experienced and much loved bird artists. However as my work is on occasions printed alongside Ray's and he is a fellow Spurn artist i hope he wont mind me talking about work he has had recently published.

Ray's work has been recently published in two books and his illustrations have brought the pages alive. Ray is very good at capturing the moment in his work and his work is always bursting with life. The birds are never stood still and his subject always appears to be moving and what is even more amazing is the way he achieves this with such clean and minimal lines

Ray's first class artwork decorates the pages in:

Rare Birds Where and When
Volume 1: Sandgrouse to New World Orioles

Series: RARE BIRDS WHERE AND WHEN
An Analysis of Status and Distribution in Britain and Ireland

Author:Russell Slack and Ian Wallace

The Ultimate Site Guide to Scarcer British Birds

Author:Lee GR Evans

RAEL's Art

2009-11-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Although this isnt my work i felt the need to post as its bird art and i love it. These were a few sketches done by my friend Rael Butcher who will probably kill me for posting this work. Whilst living together in Hull i asked him to do a few sketches. He wasnt happy with the results so i gave him some pointers and he came up with these. He's a wasted talent when it comes to drawing birds and although he sketches when taking field notes for descriptions he should do it more reguarly. To say these are drawings done after not drawing for months says it all and after spending hours in Computer Class at Uni with him naming a bird and drawing it know he is very good. I unfortunatley rely on illustrating birds to truly understand birds and become a better birder where as Rael naturally understands birds and is an exceptional birder and therefore probably doesnt need to rely on illustration to further his wealth of Knowledge.

Spurn inspired Artwork

2009-11-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

The Montagu's Harrier illustration was one i did for a description of a bird that flew south over the Humber whilst in the company of Steve Waite and Mike Coverdale, the Long-eared Owl was a quick mental sketch i did in room A after seeing the bird being harassed by Magpies in the vicinity of Little Hedge, the wagtail in flight depicts a Grey-headed wagtail(thunbergi)that flew south over the seawatch hide whilst stood with Andy Roadhouse,the Ringed Plover watercolour was a quick illustration i did whilst the female was off the nest during my stint as a Little Tern Warden at Beacon Ponds and the sepia pen sketch was a revised drawing of the bird in my painting. The swifts were done as a blueprint for a more detailed sketch i will finally complete for Steve Exley after he witnessed both the Pacific Swift and the Little Swift travelling south past the Seawatch Hide(just Pacific swift is depicted in the sketch shown).The gull is of a juvenile Iceland gull i witnessed off the beach just north of the warren that flew north before i could complete it.

This following work was inspired by events that took place at Spurn, although alot of it is still in working progress i aim to finish or reproduce work from these old ideas.

Sir Peter Scott

2009-11-26T06:51:00.000-08:00

Whats really annoying though is the fact Sir Peter Scott's signature is fading quite rapidly on the report and i happened to miss Lars Jonsson's exhibition at Slimbridge to celebrate the life and work of a greatly missed bird art LEGEND!

Another one of my many art hero's is Sir Peter Scott. Not only did he and his legacy continue to do loads for Bird Conservation but he also produced some of the best wildfowl paintings ever to grace our shores. I would be very pushed to mention another bird artist who could encapsulate Wigeon grazing on a cold winter morning as well as he does or Geese leaving their roost to feed in the fields. I spent many a January and February morning birding at Slimbridge whilst living in Worcester and didnt even attempt to try and put the atmosphere of the place into my sketchbook and still cant understand how he did and dont think i ever will. Ive enclosed a scanned image one of my prized possesions. A Signed copy of the Severn Wildfowl Trust 2nd annual report that means the world to me.

2007/8 Sketches

2009-11-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

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These are a few sketches i did and were not completed. They consist of drawings or paintings that were left unfinished due to losing the connection with the bird. If i dont feel the bird in my work i will simply stop and start again. Some of the following work were the preliminary ideas behind finished pieces. As you may have guest i always try and start with the birds head or the eye because in doing this not only do i get the character of the bird but it allows me to ascertain the proportions of the bird whereby i use the eye as the nucleaus. If i feel the birds personality is captured from the start of the drawing i will continue. Some of the following work is from photographic reference and may go to explain why there is so much unfinished work. Although photos are a fantastic tool in terms of flight drawings and feather topography in some instances they leave the bird lifeless and do nothing to portray the birds real attributes. Either way it does benefit drawing techniques and does help to hone skills during cold winter nights after working all day in a warehouse when birding is out of the question.

Yorkshire LOGO

2009-11-24T12:25:00.001-08:00

Although not a true Yorkshireman i am very proud to live in Yorkshire as the people, places and birds are unsurpassed in my eyes. Although increasingly scarce both nationally and locally the Great Grey Shrike is a regular passage migrant and has and does over winter in the county. These are a few ideas i was toying with last year and display. Im beginning to realise that although im may not like my work other people may enjoy it.

Amur Falcon

2009-11-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

This was a biro sketch i did for Yorkshire Birding back in the autumn of 2008. It features the Amur Falcon at Tophill Low and was and still is MY DREAM BIRD to find in the British Isle's (i do apologise in advance if i illustrate to many raptors but they are just awe inspiring, theres nothing better than a raptor coming in off the sea)

John Busby

2009-11-23T09:31:00.001-08:00

Although my year on Fair Isle was just one giant HIGHLIGHT there was one day that stood out from the rest and one that i will never forget for the rest of my life. During the Seabird Season many Cruiseships visit Fair Ilse, not only to marvel at thousands of stunning nesting seabirds but to get a taste of island life by sampling Fair Ilse's Crafts (fairislecrafts_knitwear@yahoo.co.uk)

The 10/06/09 was like any other cruise ship day, that is until i returned to island community hall. Once i had guided the last of the visitors into the hall i went to get a cup of tea and was about to go and speak to my boss Deryk Shaw when Tommy Hyndman called me over. Tommy lives with his lovely wife Liz and son Henry at Auld Haa in the south of the island where they run a brilliant guest house alongside Tommy's arts and crafts business(http://tommyart.com)and became some of my closest friends by the end my season on the island. Anyway i walked over to Tommy who was stood with a gentlemen and he said 'there's someone i want you to meet Jack...this is John.....John Busby....he draws birds' Before continuing i must mention that Tommy has only lived in the UK for 3 Years. Prior to moving to the UK he lived and worked in New York as a very succesful artist and was very well regarded. But the british bird artist scene is very new to him and to Tommy 'John Busby' was just another artist, this is not to say he didnt treat him in the same way as any other fellow artist but knew that i may be keen on meeting him.......Initially it didnt sink in who was in front of me as i never thought i would meet such a LEGEND and i simply shaked John's hand and said its very nice to meet you....Then it hit me and my mind must have finally and subliminally processed who was standing in front of me shaking MY hand. Not only had the hand produced some of the BEST bird art you are probably ever likely to see but was also the reason for numerous other artists that exist today and the standard of bird art that can be seen today. The whole experience was UNREAL!! and i was speechless. Then it got even better and Tommy went and bought a Fair Isle Postcard and Pen and asked John if he could do a sketch for me (bearing in mind i was a pretty much useless at that point due to the adrenaline)and sure enough there i was with Tommy watching a master at work. He simply took the pen bent down over the postcard and said 'lets see what comes to me'; and within less than 10 seconds he had drawn a bird in flight, dated it and signed it. The best bit was he gave it to me, smiled and said 'sorry its a kind of a kittiwake/ fulmar hybrid' and laughed. John Busby was a true Gentlemen and not only did he give me a sketch to cherish but also looked me in the eyes and said 'one word of advice i can give you is to always draw from life, ALWAYS DRAW FROM LIFE'. I must say a MASSIVE Thankyou to John Busby and an equally MASSIVE thankyou to Tommy. Meant the world to me!

Unfinished Pallid Harrier

2009-11-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

This was the final stage i got to before letting it dry to be stored away.At this point im adding some vague feather detail. I would like to think i may finish this painting in the near future but i may just leave it as it is and try again. Nothing ventured nothing gained!

Pallid Harrier 8

2009-11-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

Adding undercoat to wings, nape and mantle