Clients
 Adelson Library American Birding Association Birds of North America Bloomsbury Publishing Classroom Birdwatch Cornell Lab of Ornithology Elephant Listening Project Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Home Study Course in Bird Biology John E. du Pont Long Marine Lab Project Feederwatch Urban Bird Studies Wild Birds Unlimited Yosemite National Institutes Publications Birds of Sapsucker Woods, Wells, JV & Wells, AC, 2005 New Caledonia and Loyalty Island Birds, du Pont, JE, 2009 North American Birds V. 59 no. 2, 2005 Songbird Journeys, Chu, M, 2006 South Pacific Birds, du Pont, JE, 2008 Prints of my illustrations may be available and commissions are often welcome. Please write to zooart@evanbarbour.com to discuss pricing. zoo · log · i · cal \zõ-é- ' läj-i-kel\ also zoologic \-ik\ adj 1 : of, relating to, or occupied with zoology 2 : of, relating to, or affecting lower animals often distinguished from man il · lus · tra · tion \il-és ' trã-shen\ n 1 a : the action of illustrating : the condition of being illustrated b archaic : the action of making illustrious or honored or distinguished Perhaps it was my menagerie of stuffed animals, or my subscription to Zoobooks , or the animals I'd see on hikes with my family that generated my specific interest in wild animals. Even now I spend at least part of each day outside looking for animals as though I were addicted to them. Other aspects of the natural world also interest me, but no plant, fungi, or bacteria has captivated me quite like animals. And I like them all. You could say I am a generalist in my approach to Zoology. I may undergo phases of concentrated study of one group or another. Recently it's been birds as evidenced by my portfolio, but tomorrow it may be something else entirely different. The most fulfilling part of my work is the opportunity, indeed the necessity, to learn about my subjects in order to capture their likeness. I can only hope I will have a long career pursuing a multitude of creatures, and that through study of the animal kingdom's diversity I will gain some small insight into the mechanism behind the complexity of its many forms. I utilize various techniques in rendering my subjects. For the most part I use watercolor paints to carefully flesh-out thinly penciled lines that I've transferred to watercolor paper from looser sketches derived from direct observation and photographs. This clean approach to illustrating results in a more finished look than you would expect to find in, say, a field sketchbook. Regardless of the process employed, each illustration eventually gets scanned and its digital duplicate usually adjusted with the help of Photoshop. Although I seek the utmost accuracy in my illustrations, their technical content is secondary to their overall aesthetic. While I may spend hours researching my subjects before I start rendering them, I spend at least an equal amount of time deciding their composition. Through my illustrations I hope to educate the viewer, but more importantly, I hope to arouse their fascination with those creatures that fascinate me so greatly that I spend days, even weeks, depicting their images. I'd like to think that the ability to inspire awe and curiosity with other life forms is the best tool I have as a conservationist. Again, I endeavor to teach my viewers a little about my subjects (with, "... a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive"), but what I really hope is that they will want to continue learning about the animals I illustrate (by, "...the action of making illustrious or honored or distinguished... " ). The more one knows about an organism, the more one will care about it. The more one cares, the more one is likely to encourage the preservation of that organism. Superlative portrait artists are not only able to render the countenance of a stranger so as to capture its depth and complexity, but also to inspire our compassion for that stranger. I strive to be a spokesman for animals much like the best portraitists are spokespeople for humanity. Scientific illustrators face many challenges in their work. Poor references, incomplete information, and insufficient time to complete a piece are among them. Perfection is so rarely attained and often it takes many people contributing their knowledge of a subject to make its illustration absolutely accurate. Because of this I heartily encourage feedback from others. I could never pretend to know all there is to know about my subjects. All I can do is to draw what I see and often this is only a glimpse, a snapshot, a fleeting moment in the dynamic life of an animal. If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me: zooart@evanbarbour.com And be sure to visit my other website:http://birdsofnewcaledonia.com 
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