Ugly Parrots?

I found this image today, its a woodblock print of a parrot by 嵩岳堂 which I think is read as Sūgakudō from 1859.

Don't know about you but I wouldn't say its a very pretty rendition of a crimson rosella or whatever its meant to be. But you know, it is interesting because it shows how artists are sometimes so clueless when it comes to depicting things that are foreign to them.

Take for example the "gum trees" in Australian landscapes painted by early colonial English artists who came out to Australia. It's not their fault but they really had no idea:

John Glover, The bath of Diana, Van Diemen's Land 1837

http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail-LRG.cfm?View=LRG&IRN=180222

Poor John, he just couldn't shake the english trees from his mind.

I wonder whether Sūgakudō had a real bird to draw from or if he took it second hand from somewhere else. In which case it might be fair enough its sooooo ugly? The face only a mother could love....

Birds of Canberra

I picked up this great book yesterday, called "Birds of Canberra Gardens". It's put together by the Canberra Ornithologists Group and its great because it lists all the birds that have been spotted and recorded in the area of Canberra.

Some of them are soooo cute. Like the Gang-gang cockatoo. See the cover:

Don't you just want to tickle him under the chin?

I bought the book because its an authorative list on the birds in Canberra, and in my artwork I specifically want to depict birds which are local to my region. I have seen lots of the birds in the book before but some of them are very low in numbers and I've never seen anything like them before. For example this little guy:

(Photo (c) Max Sutcliffe) So cute! I don't think anyone would believe me if I told them that such a colour existed in wild birds. Hot pink!! Apparently this robin usually lives in rainforests.

Maybe this little guy will turn up in my textiles in the future...