Was asked again to paint a 7″ sleeve for this years Secret7″ exhibition in London. Here’s my interpretation of a rediscovered Nick Drake song. Its been sold so its safe for me to put it online without the risk blowing the whole thing.
Big thanks again to Kevin King for getting me involved and putting on a really successful show and raising lots of funds and awareness for Art Against Knives.
As a subject close to my heart I am donating this 30cm x 40cm watercolour painting to help raise funds for the Somerset Badger Group, which is at the heart of the badger cull area. All we are asking for is a donation of at least the price of a sandwich to be entered into the draw to win this and a number of other prizes.
Somerset Badger Group set up a badger vaccination initiative last year and under licence from Natural England the volunteers have successfully vaccinated 62 badgers over an area of approx 1200 acres, within the Somerset cull area. This covers 3 commercial farms and 5 other land holdings, with additional farms to include this year.
The primary aim of the group initiative is to offer farmers and land owners within the West Somerset cull area a responsible and sensible alternative to culling. It is not too late for farmers to change their mind and the group is prepared to offer badger vaccination to farmers, for a small charge based on each badger vaccinated, if they withdraw from the badger cull.
Please donate here remembering to leave your email/twitter address.
Good luck and thank you!!
PS. The subject of the painting originally came from an article I read where some idiot politician suggested a cull of Starlings to prevent the spread of Foot & Mouth disease…. Yeah right, another great idea.
PPS. Big thank you to Lou Matthews for having the get go to get going!
Marks & Spencer’s have licensed Our Garden Birds, available in store now. How Marks N Sparks is that cover!
Just found this lovely post on the Babyccino Kids blog of kids using my book to paint birds from. Great stuff!
The Three Ponies offer has been a massive hit! I’ve painted all kinds of finches and tits, wrens, wheatears and larks not to forget an indigo bunting!
This is the last week of me doing these so get your order in sharpish if you want one. (24th March)
Thanks to everybody who has order one so far.
I’ve painted and donated this painting of A Pair Of Great Tits to my friend Sam Pooley’s Charity Boob Night in Shrewsbury, raising money for UK charity Coppafeel.
You can enter the raffle from the comfort of your own home by just by donating £5 here to be entered into the automatic prize draw (Be sure to leave your email address).
WInners announced Monday 18th.
Thanks to Aeon for the flick
Thats right! For a very limited time only, i will be painting any small bird for you for £75 including P&P.
So tits, finches, bunting, thrushes, warblers only.
No owls, crows, birds of prey, wagtails, wildfowl or any big birds in general!
All paintings will be 20cm x 20cm on lovely thick Arches watercolour paper..
Let me know what bird you want via email or in the paypal comments section when you order.
A german language version of Our Garden Birds is now available by Frederking & Thaler.
What a lovely word… Vögel
Available here on Amazon.de
Much more info to come at a later date but for the meantime heres the cover.
Caught By The River are taking pre-orders for signed copies that come with a free exclusive Songbird badge pack. Pre-Order here
Amazon link to pre-order if you feel the need:
55 British birds and a plethora of songs, squawks, tweets and warbles. Not all the best birdsongs are sweet and the book features many of the everyday sounds and tones that cheer our day along.
With a forward by the legendary songbird Tim Burgess
I’m so chuffed with this book, and hope you will be too!
More from The Beagle
Photographs by Sebastian Matthes
I was asked by the fantastic and inspirational blog Art & Sole to paint my favourite sneakers. I spun it round a bit as a series of 80′s casual look-a-likers and simple New Balances and Nikes wouldnt of been that interesting so i decided to do a series of sneakers that reminded me of birds. Some people see faces whilst other people see cocks or tits in everything. Me, I see birds, always have. In particular I see them in cars, buildings, people and trainers…
Fila Hiker & Bullfinch
Casualia Ambulo & Pyrrhula Pyrrhula
‘A girl in our year had been hanging out with bigger boys (and going to Rezerection and other raves that I wished I’d been to) and came to school in these. I thought I was cool in my Travel Fox’s but these took the biscuit. Strong and bright, proper Bullfinch. I think I remember trying to talk my old man into buying me a pair but he wanted me to get a regular pair of hiking boots. Not quite the same effect really.’
Nike Air Safari & Zebra Finch
Victoria Aer Venator & Taeniopygia Guttata
‘I’ve never had a pair of Safari’s, but I have owned a Zebra Finch – loads in fact. My dad built this aviary/cage type thing in a covered over area outside of our house. They thrived for a while, had loads of lil’ chicks and were the cutest of things until this sharp frost came from out of nowhere and froze them all to death. I was of course mortified and I must of repressed this horror deep down as I totally forgot that I had ever even seen a Zebra Finch, never mind owned one. Skip on twenty years, to me and my girlfriend walking around Uluru in the searing heat when suddenly I heard the very familiar tinkling/chiming sound of a flock of Zebra Finches having a great time. Everything came flooding back to me. I was gutted but it was amazing to see them in the bush, with that bell-like birdsong which helps Aborigines find water in the scorched desert. No wonder the poor buggers couldn’t handle it in the frozen North-East.’
Nike Dunk SB ‘Oompa Loompa’ & Stonechat
Victoria Nullam Tabula Pumilio Magus & Saxicola Rubicola
‘These SB’s belonged to my mate Gaz in Brighton – he loved them but I was always a bit “meh”. Brown and orange is always and good combo though and they do remind me of a Stonechat, so he can’t be all wrong.’
Travel Fox & Goldfinch
Peregrinationes Vulpes & Carduelis Carduelis
‘I had coveted these for ages until I managed to get a pair myself. I have no idea how I managed to talk my folks into forking out for these. Although now it becomes clearer, as I distinctly remember getting them from a ‘budget’ shoe shop in Bishop Auckland, rather than a fancy boutique. It doesn’t really matter if they were knock-off or not, as I was only interested in the colours and the massive rubbery Travel Fox logo emblazoned across the sole. Ironically, I think these met their end in a bonfire misadventure where I managed to melt a nail right through one.’
Nike Meika & Blue Tit
Victoria Puteulanus Aureus Specialis & Parus Caeruleus
‘God knows where I first saw these delectable rare runners. It doesn’t even matter that they are the mirror image of one of my favourite birds, I just want them on my feet.’
I teamed up with Art & Sole to create a special group print (shown bottom) which features all of the sneakers and birds shown here. Entitled ‘A Few of My Feathered Sneakers’, the 297 x 420mm (A3) artwork is giclée printed onto 308gsm Hahnemuhle paper and is A&S stamped for authenticity. To see more, or to purchase a print, click here
Limited edition OGEN 012 Christmas cards.
These come in packs of four, with envelopes and are signed by Tim Burgess.
Christmas Card for Tim Burgess’ Tim Peaks and O Genesis record label
Only available at Tim Peaks
Ive been working with my friend Pablo from Forever Cacao on some logo ideas. Its a work in progress with regards to packaging at the mo but the raw chocolate is tasting amazing!
“”We Produce Stone-Ground, Single Origin, Handmade Raw Chocolate from Bean to Bar with Peruvian Ashaninka Cacao Helping to Protect Ancient Criollo Cacao Gardens.”"
Tawny Owl
(Strix aluco)Perhaps the wisest of all owls, or the wisest- looking anyway, especially whilst spotted during the day half asleep, like an old professor caught napping in his study. Tawny Owl seems very huggable; it’s hard to resist going in for a cuddle until you see those talons and fearsome beak hidden behind all the fluff. Tawnys are responsible for the classic ‘to-wit towoo’, but I’m informed it’s not actually one bird making that song: the male makes the ‘to-wit’ and a lady calls back ‘to-woo’. It’s just nice to know there are
so many around.
From Caught By The River
The Beagle in Chorlton, Manchester is an amazing new beer house and dining establishment from the famous folk of Common. They commissioned me to design a series of prints for the dining area, based on Charles Darwin’s expedition to the Galapagos Islands on the good ship HMS Beagle. The archipelago is home to some amazing birds as well as the famous family of Darwin Finches that old Charlie boy studied to come up with some of his crazy theories.
The “Galapagos Birds Of HMS Beagle” giclee print is available to buy exclusively from the establishment. I cant recommend the place enough, the ales are champion and the food is top drawer. Top buzz!
Finally in the shop now!
Twelve of you favourite seasonally selected birds in a handy calendar format.
Size: 150x420mm portrait
Extent: 12 leaves + 1 cover
Material Cover: 170gsm uncoated
Leaves: 130gsm uncoated
Very limited and once they’re done they’re done.
First the book and now the calendar. 12 birds for 12 months. Made in conjunction with Caught by the River and designed by St Etienne’s art director Paul Kelly (also the maker of the great Lawrence of Belgravia film).
Christmas has come early to east London. Thanks to Heavenly for the instaphoto!
My calendars are only available through myself, Caught By The River and Rough Trade East.
A selection of 13 images from ‘Our Garden Birds’ are now available as an Archival pigment print on 310gsm fine art stock, 18cm x 24cm (perfect for an ikea frame!) Giclée Prints in the shop
Was a pleasure to talk about my book with Amelia for Amelia’s Magazine.
Read the interview here
Ozzy and Tony
The legendary Tony Husband did this great cartoon of someone staring out a jackdaw for me a little while ago. He had got my book through friends of friends and felt inspired enough to draw this. Honoured. Though it probably doesn’t make sense unless you have read my description of a jackdaw…
Jackdaw
Corvus monedula
The least creepy of the crows, often seen swaggering about like he’s carrying a couple of radiators. His brothers the Crow and Raven definitely have the whole horror thing sewn up, but there is still something a bit spooky about a Jackdaw.
He is one of the only birds to have white irises and, like humans, he uses eye contact to communicate. That’s why, if you’re walking along and a Jackdaw looks you directly in the eye – almost like he’s reading your mind – you’ll feel slightly unsettled before he flies off. The Jackdaw: never afraid to hold a man’s gaze.
Being one of the founders of seminal 80′s kids comic OINK! Tony and his mob was one of the reasons why i’m doing artwork now. I learned back then that art and drawing can be fun. Cheers Tony!
‘Our Garden Birds’ 2013 wall calendar
Size: 150x420mm portrait
Extent: 12 leaves + 1 cover
Material Cover: 170gsm uncoated
Leaves: 130gsm uncoated
First the book and now the calendar. 12 birds for 12 months. Made in conjunction with Caught by the River and designed by St Etienne’s art director Paul Kelly (also the maker of the great Lawrence of Belgravia film).
Coming soon!
Work has begun with earnest for my new book with Ebury Press. Very excited, gonna be a corker!
Stay tuned for me details
I got commissioned by Physics & Birdsong to create this logo and T design.
Lots more info on a very interesting subject over at The Sound Approach
Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
I was was lucky enough to be working in Japan for a couple of weeks
recently, on arrival and after being on the go for roughly 26 hours i
took myself off for a walk. I quickly came across what i thought where
gangs of unruly House Sparrows, but to my delight with closer
inspection they were actually their chestnut brothers the Tree
Sparrow. A rare sight in the UK and i cant recall seeing once since i
was a kid, so i was over the moon to see them thriving in the land of
the rising sun.
Easily mistaken for his outgoing cousin the House Sparrow, but once
you have noticed the difference you will never confuse them again.
This country gentleman matches a chestnut- brown flat cap with his
tweeds and prefers to congregate with his cohorts in woodland,
farmland and gardens, rather than the car parks and high streets
preferred by the House Sparrow. The Tree Sparrow: keeping it real,
keeping it rural.
From Caught by the river
Painted these rainy waxwings for an exhibition at the huge Boardmasters Surf comp in Newquay, Cornwall.
Big thanks to Looking Sideways for getting me involved.
Surfs Up!
