I'm very new to taking the subject of Bird Art seriously at all, having prioritised landscape work most of my career, and lacking the opportunity to try. However, since the pandemic and these days feeling vulnerable I refuse to use public transport and don't drive, so I'm forced to look at different perspectives.
I was just now searching for what I thought was the very first detailed close up bird painting I attempted, but I was wrong...look what I found! beautiful owl was 'adopted' as a studio muse by artist John Lyons (and indeed, there it appears in a number of his paintings
https://jcmlyons.co.uk/gallery-paintings/), and I was lucky enough to have the chance to work in his Hebden Bridge studio for six weeks - hence my painting - too good to miss, and I loved doing it - I should do more! I've even rediscovered the very owl that inspired "Presence 11" my subject...there he is on the windowsill, where I was also inspired to paint a picture which depicted him in my imagination flying in to join us where we were working! My apologies for the horrible spludge of a watermark...I will endeavour to take some better pics!