3-Toed Woodpecker Bronzed Audubon Number 6

by Aberjhani

Title

3-Toed Woodpecker Bronzed Audubon Number 6

Artist

Aberjhani

Medium

Painting - Fine Art Digital Paintings + Photography

Description

Precise descriptions of the numerous birds and other animals he drew were an important part of John James Audubon’s strategy for documenting them in both images and words. One such instance is the Black-Backed Three-Toed Woodpecker rendered between 1831 and 1833. That almost sounds like a cartoon but shows the naturalist’s dedication to accuracy. For printing purposes in his colossal Birds of America books, he worked with the Scottish artist Joseph Bartholomew Kidd.

This sixth addition to my Birds of a Bronzed Audubon Feather series employs a tinted interpretation of the original with the woodpeckers shaded in dark brown, sepia, light gold, and small patches of white. In the foreground is a reconfigured carpet of gold, yellow, black, and white with a globe, or possibly a star, of light and shadows rising out of it. The glowing Silk-Featherbrush Artstyle featherbots in the background reinforce the idea of visionary creativity (such as Audubon’s and his assistant artists’) inspiring new depictions in new styles.

NOTE ON SERIES:
The 4-volume set of books by John James Audubon (1785-1851) known as BIRDS OF AMERICA (1827-1838) is often considered the greatest such work by an ornithologist ever published. Included within the volumes were 435 hand-colored engravings of 1,065 birds representing 489 species. What a lot of people might not know about the illustrations presented in Audubon’s treasured collection is that many of the final images were the result of engravings and water-colorings created by other artists like English-born Robert Havell, Jr. (1793-1878) and Scotsman Joseph Bartholomew Kidd (1808-1889). Havell befriended Audubon while working on the book in England and later moved to America.

Havell’s and Kidd’s names are important to note in connection with my BIRDS OF A BRONZED AUDUBON FEATHER SERIES because they demonstrate how Audubon’s phenomenal work inspired recreations of it by other visual artists even while he lived almost 200 years ago. Because Audubon’s original works still stand well enough on their own, my goal with the Birds of a Bronzed Audubon Feather series is to create modern visual interpretations which pay tribute to his visionary artistry. Those interested can read more about my explorations of his life and legacy at my Bright Skylark Literary Productions website.

Aberjhani

Uploaded

December 1st, 2022

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