As a young man, John James Audubon was considered handsome and outgoing in personality. He fenced, danced, learned to ride and play violin and flute. Primarily he loved walking and wandering in the woods. When he found bird eggs or nests he would bring them home and draw them. Thus began his collections. Even as a child, Audubon was drawn to notice birds. He felt connected with birds somehow. His father influenced this fascination with birds and offered understanding of the behavior and patterns belonging to the seasons. After Audubon moved to America he discovered common interests with his neighbor, Lucy Bakewell, who became his wife and the mother of his four children. Their two daughters did not survive infancy but their two sons grew to be strong supporters of his work as was his wife.

John James Audubon had a family to support. He established a trading business situated in Kentucky however in 1820 dropped the idea of running a business and responded to his true calling of being an artist and also a naturalist. After numerous years of travel and attempts at running a business with his brother, he dedicated his time to painting and illustrating birds.

Audubon’s art was vitally important to him and he always was learning and improving his techniques. He burned his old works and redid them to make them better. He wanted to paint all the birds of America but Alexander Wilson had already started on a project much like that. Nonetheless, Audubon’s work was far more detailed. Developing his own techniques and using sketches and watercolors, Audubon created life-size images with natural habitat for background. He made use of specimens he collected in the wilderness and used wires to keep them in the position desired to make the painting. Wilson’s paintings were more stiff and formal. The fine grade of shot that Audubon used resulted in less damage to the birds during their capture and collection. When his work demanded more of his time he hired hunters to capture and harvest particular specimens to increase his collection.

In 1826 he traveled to England in the hope of having his drawings published, by one year afterwards he had obtained sufficient subscribers to enable him to start the publication of his Birds of America. When this gargantuan project done in 1838 this masterpiece contained 435 colored plates, containing 1055 figures of birds the size of life. It represented 14 years of work and a life-long experience and dedication to ornithology and art.

Audubon relentlessly advertised The Birds of America and sold subscriptions to pay for its publication. The self-taught artist and naturalist initially was frowned upon by ornithologists, but has since then become celebrated for his paintings. It was the first time birds were painted in natural habitats and poses. In 1886 a bird preservation organization took his name and eventually evolved into the National Audubon Society.

Although specimen collection methods during Audubon’s time were lethal for the birds, the lessons learned have lasted beyond his lifetime. During his southern travels Audubon identified 39 new species of birds and always kept detailed journals of his wildlife observations as an authentic naturalist. Certainly if he had access to modern tools to see birds and wildlife our story might be entirely different. Sometimes I think Audubon would have really appreciated access to a Swarovski spotting scope.

John James Audubon was the earliest naturalist who was known to band birds to examine their movements. By tying yarn to Eastern Phoebes Audubon discovered they returned to the same nesting locations each and every year. The life of John James Audubon is indeed fascinating and full of trials and struggles of the young artist seeking to feed his family. In fact his life story reads just like a pioneer adventure tale. Even today the works of John James Audubon are treasured and hallmarks of the artist’s skills and talents.

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