Pearson’s prints in Aussie bird book

A NEW bird book for art-loving twitchers features the work of a Haddon printmaker and ornithologist.

Published by the CSIRO, Penny Olsen’s Feather and Brush: A History of Australian Bird Art showcases hand coloured lino-cut prints by Vida Pearson.

“The book is all about giving an overview of how artists in Australia have depicted birds in this country over hundreds of years,” Pearson said.

“Three of my prints are featured. One of the works, King Penguins, is based on a trip I did to South Georgia in the sub-Antarctic islands, another is Blue-faced honeyeaters in grevilleas, and the third is Yellow-tailed black cockatoos.

“I’m very chuffed to be included. There are a lot of great wildlife artists out there to choose from, particularly painters and drawers, so to be in it as a printmaker is pretty special.”

As a passionate birdwatcher and photographer, seventy per cent of Pearson’s printmaking work is based on her own pictures of birds, and has been for decades.

“I’ve always had an affinity for birds. When I was at art school in the 80s, we used to go to the zoo for projects, and I was always drawn to the cockatoos and parrots.

“I love to travel all over the world to see special birds, but Aussie birds are a favourite. I live on five acres near Haddon, and there’s a big variety of birds,” she said.

“I always use my own photos in creating my prints. It’s very important to me to see the bird in its environment and see what it does before I produce an image.”

Pearson’s Blue-faced honeyeaters in grevilleas was featured in the first Where Art Meets Nature Prize for works on paper, while Yellow-tailed black cockatoos was presented in the Birds in Art exhibition at Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin, United States.

Pearson will open her Haddon studio to showcase works to the public this weekend on Saturday, 7 and Sunday, 8 May.