From Publishers Weekly:
World renowned wildlife painter Bateman (Thinking Like a Mountain) describes this book as neither a field guide to birds nor a reference book. Rather it is aptly represented as an artist's "portfolio" and a "field diary." Bateman not only depicts a worldwide range of avian species in startlingly lifelike paintings, he also captures a sense of place and motion (even when the subjects are still) within landscapes that could stand on their own. The artist's uncanny ability is no less displayed in the backgrounds and settings than in the portraits of the birds. Bateman paints a wading African blue crane with both bird and water in near photographic clarity. Likewise, he crafts a muted impressionistic Latin American rain forest, wherein brilliantly colored macaws perch, preen and dangle from the lush trees. Perhaps because of the voluptuousness of the paintings, Dean's text, depicting Bateman's field experiences, leans toward breathless overuse of modifiers, rather than lighter, subtler prose; the brief foreword to the book by Matthiessen (Birds of Heaven) is insightful. Yet the paintings easily carry the accompanying top-heavy copy with no ill effect. This is a wonderful book for birders, wildlife enthusiasts and art lovers.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist:
It's hard to overuse superlatives when discussing the paintings of Robert Bateman. Truly one of the great living artists, his skill at depicting wildlife, particularly birds, is legendary. Inspired by nature at an early age, Bateman was later influenced by the work of Andrew Wyeth. Birds is a personal tour of the planet's avian denizens as the artist paints species he has seen in his travels from his home base in Canada to the Southwest, the Everglades, Europe, India, Africa, and the Antarctic. Bateman's skills with brush, pencil, and ink are stunningly displayed here, including both field sketches and finished works. The artist's commentary accompanies each piece, imparting notes about the natural history of each bird as well as comments about how or why he painted it. Bateman's evocative use of negative space highlights the subject, and details such as the species of plant or the type of rock used as a perch define the bird's habitat. Despite its price, this book is a bargain and belongs in every library. Nancy Bent
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