Mixed water-based media on Saunder’s rag, image size 810 by 1106 mm, framed size 1280 by 975 mm, framed by Jarman’s in water gilded solid frames and glazed with True Vue AR glass.

THE ARTIST: Jeff Davies (born 1957) is arguably Australia's finest ever bird field guide illustrator, with an international reputation, and has worked as a full time artist from 1987. He was awarded an Order of Australia in 2019.

ARTIST NOTES: "My most recent works are larger scale. They reflect a desire to show more of the habitat of the subject species, and allow a greater variety of elements for a more complex composition. I want people looking at my work to recognize familiar scenes, reminiscent of their own observations of wild birds. With the increase in size of my work I have been tempted to switch media to Oil paint, but I am now very comfortable with a combination of Watercolour, Gouache and acrylic on Rag paper. It's somewhat unconventional but it works for me and I am still discovering new ways of getting the most out of this unorthodox combination".

PUBLICATIONS:

Jackson, P. D. and J. N. Davies. The freshwater and estuarine fishes of Wilsons Promontory National Park. [Melbourne:] Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands, 1983.

Lane, Brett A. Shorebirds in Australia. Melbourne: Nelson, 1987.

Higgins, Peter et al., editors. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds [HANZAB, full set]. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1993-2006. Jeff Davies illustrated the first four volumes.

Williams, Tony et al. The Penguins: Spheniscidae. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Menkhorst, Peter, Danny Rogers and Rohan Clarke. ABG. The Australian Bird Guide. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 2017. Colour illustrations by Jeff Davies, Peter Marsack and Kim Franklin.

Davies, Jeff et al. The compact Australian bird guide. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 2022.