The Illuminated Book of Birds is a stunning, one-of-a-kind celebration of the birds of the world. By award-winning painter Robin Crofut-Brittingham, it includes large-scale fine art paintings of the birds in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America, and Europe, along with flightless birds, unusual birds, and extinct birds. It looks at birds together, grouping them by geography and families, and delights in illuminating their habits and cultural and mythological significance. Every bird is individually featured, with curious and fun facts that will delight new and seasoned birders. In total, readers meet nearly 400 hand painted birds and experience a global birding adventure from the comfort of home.
“My artwork has long been inspired by themes of nature, climate change and biodiversity and research has always been a vital component of my practice. My work as an artist has grown out of my ongoing fascination with natural history, mythology and the ways in which humans interact with the natural world. To make my paintings I spend a great deal of time pouring over nature books looking for the facts, images and stories that inspire their creation. Through this process I learn and connect to the elements I add to the work. For a long time much of this research never saw the light of day. Scribbles of birds and scrawls of little bird factoids that I found inspiring have lived only in my sketchbooks, for me. With the encouragement of a few friends, I came to realize that perhaps this collection of research could become its own work and thus, the idea for The Illuminated Book of Birds was born. For me, this project has been an opportunity to create a book that grows both out of and into my art practice. It is a chance to share the research I have long conducted privately and for me to deepen and continue that research as I create the book.”
