![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/9e0bc5ce-97b2-4d12-afb4-e4c3df86fa71_rw_1920.jpg?h=b25c46ffc3378627aacc51ebb43eb888)
Birds in our Backyard
Digital illustration series
A personal project dear to my heart. My parents are avid gardeners and their backyard attracts a multitude of bird species. On a family visit in 2018, I noticed a list of birds they'd spotted pinned to the fridge. It was handwritten on a scrap piece of paper, and instantly I knew I wanted to illustrate it as a gift to them.
At the time I didn't realize it would take me until December of 2022 to fully complete, and it's turned out to be the most ambitious and longest-running project of my career to date.
I drew each bird individually, with the intention of developing and improving my illustration style. I wanted not only to depict each bird accurately, but I wanted to convey something of their individual personalities as well. I chose to portray the birds in flight, as this is when they seem most vital and alive - and all too often, flight is something we humans take away from birds in our care.
See below for detail images of individual birds featured on the poster (and a few extras!)
Open edition prints of individual birds available here
Limited edition prints of compiled poster coming soon.
Limited edition prints of compiled poster coming soon.
![Baltimore Oriole](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/9a6a7714-ae7e-4f90-af42-25afa484a144_rw_1200.jpg?h=19a502d4f7f46cc5d4fac3453e2e5c3f)
Baltimore Oriole
![Rose-Breasted Grosbeak](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/d65324b2-7575-42c7-a479-002a3d72c1cb_rw_1200.jpg?h=2fd30ddabf9bb04753f26c71b9d49bd4)
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
![Redwinged Blackbird](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/c06bcf3e-0041-42cb-a107-15ed1925f2ab_rw_1200.jpg?h=e01cfc30fb5bb95797971dca1dccfe49)
Redwinged Blackbird
![Cedar Waxwing](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/b7902506-c12d-447a-a914-efb93f786207_rw_1200.jpg?h=a31c7d68da70de93bf4c82d5628ad136)
Cedar Waxwing
![Downy Woodpecker](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/115440c7-cf8a-46eb-ac95-e7d307176d49_rw_1200.jpg?h=2b22ddd8500e338bacbd2bd16a7070bc)
Downy Woodpecker
![Female Northern Cardinal](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/852effd6-94f9-4e8c-9762-a545ecfbf968_rw_1200.jpg?h=d22f142666facfc833e265230ee8b1a6)
Female Northern Cardinal
![Dark-Eyed Junco](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/97620ca7-baa2-4bd1-9391-b09d60e81c4e_rw_1200.jpg?h=c9e8adfaec5f83ba907f54b6fdc00d70)
Dark-Eyed Junco
![Blue Jay](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/634aeeb2-4189-4505-b8f7-e2864d16ee93_rw_1200.jpg?h=542fa3d52fd944a2a5771b6c01098af4)
Blue Jay
![American Goldfinch](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/a9ba9332-4a7b-4ff3-9743-ec24e16b0e24_rw_1200.jpg?h=229943f500260f64c9bbe30f8d03e5d6)
American Goldfinch
![House Finch](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/8cc78e5d-b374-4ec4-bc1d-a5a66fe769b0_rw_1200.jpg?h=bc2111e244a507f6828193716748e802)
House Finch
![Merlin](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/8da3938b-38e0-43ac-b1b1-7c7939664706_rw_1200.jpg?h=f3ee48688a4a240367692f68d56dd3ea)
Merlin
![Red Breasted Nuthatch](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/61fef0b8-2012-4157-bc46-be61ecd454ff_rw_1200.jpg?h=47f78c496f80576282e5ce8007414321)
Red Breasted Nuthatch
![Mourning Dove](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/6890c061-6a65-4d7e-a00a-2a26ed5a7a6d_rw_1200.jpg?h=f08784772fe4105f8bbf332fc1c520db)
Mourning Dove
![American Robin](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/bd5883cf-5680-49be-afdc-80f880fea85c_rw_1200.jpg?h=b3f31089dc0201f699fe08715dc21f50)
American Robin
![American Crow](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/279a1ab1-15fd-4253-9cba-db9bce2b1a81_rw_1200.jpg?h=c63c6a94eb3645b61707e446bd53f6fe)
American Crow
![Chipping Sparrow](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/be7ab8b4-612c-4516-baf4-922ae28d3a51_rw_1200.jpg?h=5aa81deaac57b579541be349249efebc)
Chipping Sparrow
![Common Grackle](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/fa70981d-0ab8-4319-941c-53150664aaa5_rw_1200.jpg?h=63eece158dd730bb4a2be91e0b83d87f)
Common Grackle
![White Breasted Nuthatch](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/3aa1a417-09d6-4189-a05b-a7317b281eed_rw_1200.jpg?h=55afb852a6c76c9a1af06be20610e9af)
White Breasted Nuthatch
![Purple Finch](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/cce1d9c8-e63c-44a4-bc72-cbaa70912d00_rw_1200.jpg?h=67914544fbae67afa1a447250f43396f)
Purple Finch
![Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/b4f276b3-55bb-4f4b-ad53-2b923b460e47_rw_1200.jpg?h=fb2b3a8c08d683941e6440dce2b11003)
Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker
![House Wren](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/9db718d5-d33a-4c42-b8ca-248917480811_rw_1200.jpg?h=04a6cf21812643aacb47bfe03295cc7b)
House Wren
![Ruby Throated Hummingbird](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/e0eb0ee6-182d-4d8d-bf23-ed3f92ac6443_rw_1200.jpg?h=7671130c2fd61d0c872f07eabc223fa7)
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
![White Crowned Sparrow](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/cdba2628-9593-47bb-9116-cc9471257341_rw_1200.jpg?h=26329e88b74c8921a7372801298e4470)
White Crowned Sparrow
![European Starling](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/51c95797-4b6f-4efe-bda7-ab9ea86089c9_rw_1200.jpg?h=b6b8a3a97f3680461000e679b2863ad1)
European Starling
![House Sparrow](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/b4638610-2834-4017-a1ab-ba055c451873_rw_1200.jpg?h=67ac7ab559431538f15512e710528d75)
House Sparrow
![Hermit Thrush](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/2d0d363d-679c-4a23-9191-5a9232e87c00_rw_1200.jpg?h=c70108c0f5cd077ee20ffc4f2b539a1a)
Hermit Thrush
![Male Northern Cardinal](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/ce61105c-95cc-4962-afec-33fb80bf03df_rw_1200.jpg?h=ab3fe6f0fc5fe13c238d91e70685125c)
Male Northern Cardinal
![Hairy Woodpecker](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/16f4b293-a033-4355-9a02-526c30ecc245_rw_1200.jpg?h=f3a76156425ac9175b44eb2d82330ecd)
Hairy Woodpecker
![Black Capped Chickadee](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/d4010bb1-0d9b-454b-9849-6435eaa45028_rw_1200.jpg?h=dd92aa7ceb66efff22bfb6e8069e26ed)
Black Capped Chickadee
![Brown Headed Cowbird](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/2bc971237787032549ff44bd46b8d293/f89d9871-2560-4791-9d60-30cf75748c32_rw_1200.jpg?h=5068f9cf2c5ee3afbab414d759e880d3)