Nine of the foremost living wildlife artists - Simon Gudgeon, Ashley Boon, Ben Hoskyns, Terence Lambert, Rodger McPhail, Derek Robertson, Jonathan Sainsbury, Keith Sykes, and Owen Williams - have contributed to this extraordinary book. As you would expect the paintings, drawings and sculptures reproduced here are magnificent, and each artist writes passionately about his art and about the wonderful bird that inspires it.
Simon Gudgeon, this country's leading contemporary wildlife sculptor. Simon's signature style is instantly recognisable - a smooth, minimalised form expressing in simple lines both movement and emotion. A moment captured. Ashley Boon; Now lives in one of the most beautiful parts of rural Cumbria, and has the priviledge of being able to watch a wonderful variety of wildlife from his studio including a small Black Grouse, which have inspired these beautiful pictures. Ben Hoskyns; Concentrating generally on British wildlife and on game birds in particular, Ben finds no shortage of inspiration whether at home in Suffolk, knee-deep in snipe bogs in Devon or dodging midges on a grouse moors, in Northumberland. Terence Lambert: 'After the inspiration of observation in the field, I try to create paintings that are more than just accurately crafted. I hope to show the subject to possess a personality... that exits beyond the confines of the chosen rectangle. Rodger McPhail; One of the UK's best known sporting Artists' Rodger has contributed to many mixed exhibitions at The Tryon Gallery in London and has had twelve one-man shows. As well as sporting and wildlife painting Rodger also does cartoons, caricatures, portraits and stage sets. Derek Robertson; Born and raised in Fife, Derek works from his studio in Aberdeen and, since graduating from Duncan of Jordanstone Art College in Dundee some fifteen years ago has carved a niche for himself and his work is much sort after Jonathan Sainsbury; 'I don't have one hard and fast rule about technique - every picture determines its own medium and techniques. There is a lot of variety in what I do - watercolour, charcoal, oil, tempera, charcoal & watercolour, etching, lithography. Keith Sykes; With a background in civil engineering, he has combined his drawing board experience with a passion for shooting and gun dogs he now concentrates on producing finely detailed animal portraits. He works exclusively in black and white on scraperboard. Owen Williams: Working exclusively in watercolour his paintings contain a strong element of landscape and weather which help to convey a real feeling of tie and place.