K is for… Kentish Plovers, Kittiwakes and Kilnsey Crag, Wharfedale Sketches of Kentish plovers doing what these elegant little birds like to do best and John’s favourite gull, the Kittiwake, “riding the air current at a sea cliff effortlessly, making subtle changes to body and wing shapes and keeping their centre of gravity in balance […]
F is for… more pictures (F,G,H,I,J)
F is for… Fairy tern, fox and flounder This fairy tern Gygis alba, also known as the white tern, was drawn during a dramatic trip to the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles in 1974 (see Land Marks and Sea Wings Chapter 4). It is so beautiful and delicate against the blue sky. These are not […]
A is for… an alphabetic showcase
A is for… Avocets, Alpine Gentian and Aldabra kestrels What a spectacular way to start this alphabetic journey through John’s work – a colony of avocets on the wing. Beautiful birds and a such a symbol of conservation success they are now the logo for the RSPB. Over half the breeding pairs in the UK […]
Views of Scotland
With restrictions easing I have been lucky enough to get out and about in Perthshire, the Highlands and West Coast of Scotland in the last few weeks. The stunning scenery brings to mind many of John’s pictures and drawings, some of which I have showcased here. The last three pictures were illustrations for the book […]
May ’21 Exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
A selection of John’s landscape pictures were shown at the Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh in May 2021. The Open Eye Gallery hold a number of John’s paintings and show them online too. See their website here for a selection. We are also able to take enquiries about pictures that have not been exhibited recently. […]
Delving into the sketchbooks
With over a hundred sketchbooks from a lifetime of drawing, John’s archive is a rich source of observations of bird and animal behaviour. As well as drawings of the species observed, he would mark colours, habitat and sometimes note a compositional idea that he might later work up into a finished picture. I have dipped […]
Garden Birds sketchbook
John created this little bird book for his eldest grandchild, then aged 6. While it will remain in the family there are a number of similar pictures that are available for sale (see below). Enjoy!
Birds in your Garden
As we come up to the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch can I recommend again this delightful book published 1989 and currently available very cheaply on the secondhand book market? It is full of wonderful illustrations by John, many in full colour and takes you through a whole year in your garden with ideas for […]
Silk scarves – a new venture
Super soft and printed with some of John’s magnificent abstract oil landscapes we’re really excited about these silk scarves. Just six samples were made and three of them have gone already, so if you are interested don’t leave it too late! See Shop here These scarves are printed on light silk satin and finished with […]
Scottish Wildlife print
£50 each +p&p 37 x 41 cm unmounted. There are quite a few architects’ plan drawers in the studio. Wide and shallow they could hold enormous sheets of paper and are ideal for the sketches and unmounted original watercolours they hold now. Every so often I delve into the drawers and emerge with some […]