For those of us destined to a life lived watching urban landscapes of solid and bulky concrete jungles - either by choice or necessity of earning an upkeep - bird watching, is the only and the most readily available/easiest form of dreamy escapism that takes our soul closer to nature without leaving the confines of our resident cities. I have lost count on how many times I have found myself stopping mid-sentence to stare at an amazingly agile, delicate, jittery bird in the bush or nearby tree, leaving either my husband or kids annoyed at leaving my sentence "hanging in the air" and ruining the fluid flow of conversation and the prevailing moods all around!
But my bird watching is not a hobby, rather an almost instinctive, intuitive pull of nature. Some do it with a passion - there are plenty of bird watching societies out there with serious hobbiest willingly spending precious time (not to mention resources) to travel far and wide to catch a glimpse of rare birds in nature - and these bird-watchers follow the migration routes of those birds as meticulously as a professional weatherman does the air currents of changing weather. They document and write about their finds and experiences and compare notes just as enthusiastically.
And then there are some, like Matt Adrian, who take their obsession even further - not only observing and documenting, but creating the most lifelike and amazing portraits of birds which are a marvel to behold. What I really like about Adrian's bird portraits is that he treats his subjects truly as any other human client, with characteristics and moods that shine through, sometimes somber, sometimes playful and sometimes downright sinister. The birds are never painted with a background of nature rather again, like a true portrait, with a bland or poster background as if commissioned by the bird itself to grace the mantle piece of their abode!
I can think and wish for nothing better than one of his brilliant pieces adorning my mantle piece one day if I can afford it! Here are a few examples of his work. Enjoy!
But my bird watching is not a hobby, rather an almost instinctive, intuitive pull of nature. Some do it with a passion - there are plenty of bird watching societies out there with serious hobbiest willingly spending precious time (not to mention resources) to travel far and wide to catch a glimpse of rare birds in nature - and these bird-watchers follow the migration routes of those birds as meticulously as a professional weatherman does the air currents of changing weather. They document and write about their finds and experiences and compare notes just as enthusiastically.
And then there are some, like Matt Adrian, who take their obsession even further - not only observing and documenting, but creating the most lifelike and amazing portraits of birds which are a marvel to behold. What I really like about Adrian's bird portraits is that he treats his subjects truly as any other human client, with characteristics and moods that shine through, sometimes somber, sometimes playful and sometimes downright sinister. The birds are never painted with a background of nature rather again, like a true portrait, with a bland or poster background as if commissioned by the bird itself to grace the mantle piece of their abode!
I can think and wish for nothing better than one of his brilliant pieces adorning my mantle piece one day if I can afford it! Here are a few examples of his work. Enjoy!
