Birds, Beers and Art

Tis’ the season of Birds n Beer! For the third year in a row, we had the pleasure of showcasing our bird-related pieces at the Science on Tap event at Walkerville Brewery. Lead by the Faculty of Science, this event is a great way to learn about what local bird researchers are doing and to have a great time with trivia! The Science on Tap series is expected to continue this year, and we hope to be having pieces for them all.

This year, we had some new pieces made by Lauren and I, as well as some pieces from previous years. Lauren’s digital and watercolour pieces showcase the diversity of bird species we have locally, and highlight some of the key species studied in the Mennill lab.

This watercolour piece, made by Lauren, illustrates some of the most common bird species in our area

I brought some of my older pieces of invasive and threatened species that highlight the need for conservation and management. You might recognize some of the invasive bird species. I also displayed some of my acrylic paintings, which show a variety of species in their habitats, as well as two pieces inspired by taxidermy.

Here was a table of my acrylic and photography pieces, some of which SMArt hasn’t yet seen.

With two tables full of art, I thought this was a great way to show our community how art is and always has been important for ornithology. After all, the best ornithologists were also artists!

John James Audubon, arguably one of the most famous ornithologists, was also a painter, documenting the birds of America in his book of the same name.