Birds of the West: An Artist's Guide

Birds accompany us in our daily lives with their songs, flashes of bright color, and energetic activity. Even people who don't consider themselves birders notice them; from urban wetlands to wilderness trails, we follow the sound of a distant twitter or song.

Molly Hashimoto captures nearly 100 species using different media, from quick sketches with pencil and wash to more carefully planned vivid block prints. Each medium has a unique way of revealing different avian qualities–those delicate feathers and eggs or a direct and imposing eye, an elegant curve of a bill or the brilliant colors of plumage. From the diminutive ruby-crowned kinglet to the majestic golden eagle, Molly's range of art and detail encourages all of us to observe our feathered friends more closely.

Through more than 130 sketches, paintings, and print, Molly explores seven Western habitats, sharing both evocative personal encounters and natural histories of backyard favorites like robins and chickadees, more exotic alpine residents such as great gray owls and mountain bluebirds, and many others. Encouraging sidebars on different art techniques appeal to artists of all experience levels, while lovely poems and passages from other artists and writers celebrate the beauty of birds.

Whether you choose to pick up a brush and paint or simply enjoy the magnificence of nature as depicted in Molly's artwork, Birds of the West is guaranteed to delight and inspire.