About British Bird Artists

British Bird Artists

fine art collectors

Allan Knight

I have had twenty years of experience as an enthusiast and collector of antiques. I also have had a lifelong interest in ornithology. Ever since my early days at school when I bought the Observer Book of Birds, I dreamed of owning paintings by Thorburn and Keulemans.

Now that I have retired, I have been able to find time to pursue my interest in bird art and explore the talents of other British bird artists such as J C Harrison, P Scott, Phillip Rickman and R Green and some contemporary artists such as Terence Lambert, Owen Williams and Ben Hoskyns. This interest has led me to set up a website with my friend Jeff to buy, sell, exchange and hopefully to meet other enthusiastic collectors.

Jeff Jones

I’ve been a collector of one thing or another for decades but it was about twenty years ago I started to collect paintings.

I have always loved rugged landscapes so my first preferred subject was highland cattle and sheep in the atmospheric hills and mountains of Scotland. In fact, I still own the first painting I ever bought, a William Watson, not only of sheep & cattle in the Highlands but with a horse-mounted shepherd as well.

However, my direction for collecting changed dramatically when I saw a magnificent painting of a peregrine falcon in rocky landscape by an artist named D M Henry.

This sparked an avid enthusiasm for all of the specialist British bird artists, and in particular their depiction of gamebirds and raptors.

I was soon looking for Rickmans, Lodges, Tunnicliffes etc, but especially J C Harrison, who became my particular favourite alongside contemporary artist, Rodger McPhail.

If it wasn’t for a limited supply of money, I would probably have kept every purchase I made, but having said that, selling and part exchanging pictures has introduced me to other enthusiasts, some of which have become firm friends, including Alan, my fellow website owner.

I hope whoever clicks onto our website finds it interesting and develops a similar enthusiasm for the marvellous ways these artists have dedicated themselves to recording our unique countryside and birdlife.