A Sparrow's Life's as Sweet as Ours: In Praise of Birds and Seasons

by Carry Akroyd, John McEwen, Carry Akroyd (Illustrator)

Overview

A compilation of 60 beautiful screenprints by renowned wildlife artist Carry Akroyd from The Oldie magazine's "Birds of the Month" column.

In this sumptuous new art book, renowned wildlife artist Carry Akroyd presents a sequence of screenprints of birds full of variety and color that illustrate British birds in all four seasons of the year. These beautiful prints give full rein to Carry's knowledge of wildflowers, trees, and the modern landscape of Britain, including its wind turbines and passing aeroplanes. And what shines out of Carry's dynamic designs is her deft capturing of each bird's characteristics set beautifully in relation to its habitat.

John McEwen's accompanying text is written with elegance and concision, and his columns have been updated where required to keep abreast of the latest research and reports. John's light, eclectic approach connects snippets of ornithology, history, etymology, and cookery, all expressed with wit and knowledge. His writing is spiced with poetry—from Chaucer to the present—as well as facts and stories, while personal and other anecdotes are also included to inform and, above all, entertain the reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472967145
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/17/2019
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Carry Akroyd is a painter and printmaker living in Northamptonshire. Landscape and wildlife are her usual subjects, and as a bird-noticer, they usually fly into the pictures. Accidentally becoming an illustrator, Carry has made both black-and-white and colour illustrations for poetry and natural history books, as well as many book jackets. Her prints illustrate the long-standing Bird of the Month column in The Oldie, and her first book with John McEwen, A Sparrow's Life's as Sweet as Ours, was published in 2019.

John McEwen was born in Berwickshire, pink-footed goose country, in 1942. John has been art critic of The Spectator and The Sunday Telegraph, author of artist monographs, edited the ornithologist Henry Douglas-Home's The Birdman and was arts editor of The Field. He is a regular contributor to Country Life and a founder of The Oldie, to which he contributes Bird of the Month with Carry Akroyd.

Carry Akroyd is a painter and printmaker living in Northamptonshire. Landscape and wildlife are her usual subjects, and as a bird-noticer, they usually fly into the pictures. Accidentally becoming an illustrator, Carry has made both black-and-white and colour illustrations for poetry and natural history books, as well as many book jackets. Her prints illustrate the long-standing Bird of the Month column in The Oldie, and her first book with John McEwen, A Sparrow's Life's as Sweet as Ours, was published in 2019.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Foreword

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

Scholarly and charming.” —Daily Telegraph

“Mr McEwen's short essays on resident British or migrant birds convey a deep respect and affection ... No true bird lover will be disappointed by this book.” —Jack Watkins, Country Life

“Fizzing with painter and printmaker Carry Akroyd's vibrant and inventive screen-prints.” —Jonathan Elphick, BBC Wildlife magazine

“The book benefits greatly from the delightful and informative texts facing each picture.” —Jonathan Elphick, BBC Wildlife magazine

From the Publisher