It is nearing the end of 2025. Others have written analyses of “what just happened.” Instead, I’m going to start my blog: a record of what happens behind the scenes of my artwork — from photography to pencil experiments and great books. Because I don’t just draw. In fact, I don’t draw as much as I’d like, thanks to the limit on hours of the day. I spend a lot of time outdoors with a camera, and odd hours figuring out technology or reading about the behaviour of hawks, etc. All of it matters: every drawing comes from observation, method, and love. It’s the love that drags me outdoors in the early morning, but the other stuff makes art happen.

One question that many new artists — of wildlife realism — ask is, Do I have to take my own photos? In short, no. If you can sketch quickly, you can draw the bird in front of you. But it’s usually not right in front of you, and, personally, I can’t remember how many primary feathers … etc. So like many wildlife artists I use photos. I used to depend on other people’s (with permission) because I didn’t have a camera. Photography was too daunting. But then I began to take photos with my phone, and got hooked, and finally bought a camera with a long lens.

There is nothing wrong with drawing from another person’s photo. (Again, if you have their permission.) I still do, sometimes, especially if the subject is someone else’s pet. But I prefer to use my own — even if it limits what I can draw. Why? Because I like the sense of full engagement: I was there, I connected (however slightly) with that individual, I took the photo with a composition in mind, I edited it with a drawing in mind, I remember the encounter when I draw. Often, years later, I will walk past a place and think, “Oh, that’s where I saw the downy woodpecker feed his young.” Drawing a known individual — rather than a species — is deeply satisfying to me. That said, one of my favourite drawings was of a pileated woodpecker feeding his young — based on a photo taken by wildlife photographer Harry Collins. It’s a preference, not a rule.

As 2025 comes to a close, I’m reviewing the many hundred photos I took over the year (far too many!) to plan the next few drawings.

This is the kind of thing I’ll be talking about here. Thank you for reading!