Sweating out of fear this won’t work, but right now, I’m still telling myself: “trust the process!” This is dyed pure silver leaf. I can’t even tell everyone how utterly annoying this material is, compared to gold leaf. It’s splintering into thousands of tiny pieces, nearly impossible to remove!

I’ll be exhibiting at the #SNA end of the month. It’s a great nature themed exhibition in a fantastic venue, and an art market, where I have a table. Here’s the invite to the private view if you like to pop along. The more, the merrier! #nature #art #wildlifeart #landscapeartist #paintings

WIP of an entry that’s going into an exhibition next week, and is still nowhere near finished… it always takes so much longer than I think, but I’ll get there. Eventually.

Hand in day for the MIWAS art exhibition at the fabulous Marwell Hall on the zoo grounds. There are some spectacular works! If you are in the area, have a look, it’s this weekend. We worked really hard to get this exhibition off the ground and the result is stunning.

The flyers & private view invites have arrived, and while the exhibition catalogue is still in production, I have a few days to take a breath from organising this show. I don’t think I got more than 4 hours of sleep a night for the last few months. So exhausted. It’s coming together nicely, though!

Common hawthorn appreciation post. This shrub grows by the footpath to the village, at this time of the year it looks spectacular. It’s a native plant, and makes a wildlife friendly choice for garden borders. Birds love the thick foliage for cover.

It’s getting closer! Really looking forward to it. Friends, if you are one of the lovely people who booked a bio page in the catalogue, *now* would be a good time to send me your images. It needs to go to the printers soon. (You know who you are…😉) #MIWAS #artsociety #exhibition #wildlife #marwell

If you see this, it's time to start that personal, self-indulgent art piece that you've been putting off.

More journalists need to talk about this the way Japanese articles do

Today is ‘draw-a-bird’ day! Let me see your birdies!! Here’s my Malayan peacock pheasant as a humble offering. #birdart #sciart #illustration #traditionalart #birds #pheasants #Phasianidae

It’s #portfolioday! My name is Claudia, I’m a wildlife artist and scientific illustrator. I have several field guides and educational books under my belt. I work in traditional media. No genA.I.

Another meeting in Marwell Hall to organise the MIWAS art exhibition. Now the submission date has closed, more work behind the scenes starts for us. Lovely sunny day at Marwell, all the unicorn cows were out, grazing. #marwellzoo #artexhibition #wildlife #nature #artists #painters #traditionalart

We have resurrected MIWAS! This is our first exhibition after a long break of 10 years. 23-26 of May in Marwell Hall, Hampshire, in the grounds of Marwell Zoo. The art marquee is also back, exhibitors can book pitches. The subject has to be wildlife, traditional media only. More info: themiwas.com

“The Visitor”. How it started vs how it’s going. First time using walnut ink on copper. It bled a lot more than I expected, hence it looking a bit rougher than I had planned. I like the unexpected effect, though. #SciArt #deathhead #hawkmoth #gilding #illustration

My stand at the Creative Craft Show in Birmingham. I’m always amazed how all this, including the tables, fits into my car. And no, my drive is no van, or even a pick up truck. #volvo #artshow #artistlife #art #wildlifeart #nec #birmingham

Variegated leaf turns out differently every time. I absolutely *love* the pattern of this particular corner, and how it turned out. #gilding #goldleaf #sciart #starling #birdart #illustration #african #natureart #artist #wildlifeart #Miwas #limitededitionprints

Now waiting for the glue to dry, to apply gold leaf. 😴😴😴 These are cape starlings. So iridescent! So shiny! And just as noisy as starlings everywhere. #gilding #goldleaf #sciart #starling #birdart #illustration #african #natureart #artist #wildlifeart #Miwas #limitededitionprints

Don’t you just hate it when only walking through the freezer aisles of a supermarket triggers your Raynaud's. Haven’t even touched anything yet.🙄 Which means that I won’t be able to hold a paintbrush or pencil for a while, until this has stopped flaring up. #raynaud #hiddendisability #artistproblems

Frozen mistletoe. Just because, it’s pretty. Feel free to use it as reference for your drawings. #mistletoe #botanical #artfreference #closeup

It always bothers me when I have to paint something not anatomically correct, to fulfil a client request. But: If it makes them happy, I shall make those teeth longer. Who am I to judge! Album artwork for Marco Minnemann. #sciart #wolf #teeth #marcominnemann #albumartwork #canine #clientrequest #art

Thank you so much for all of you coming to see me at Nature in Art. It was really overwhelming at times! I had the honour to show Toyah Willcox, Robert Fripp, and their manager and friends David and Indeg what I do for a living. Such a great last day, surrounded by all around awesome people. #art

The evening sun is gorgeous, reflecting in the gold leaf of my work. Shame all the visitors have gone by now. Ah well, shine on, my crazy diamonds… #artist #goldleaf #birdart #natureart #natureinart #wildlife #paintings

I’m currently artist in residence at Nature in Art. It lies quite rural in the Cotswolds, close to Gloucester. Walking up the long driveway leading to the museum in the morning never gets old. #natureinart #museum #artmuseum #natureart #cotswolds #art #wildlifeart #gloucester #countryside

The Cape starling (Lamprotornis nitens), native to Southern Africa, one of the most striking birds I’ve ever seen. Just as noisy as our starlings as well. “The Fancy Flight Squad” - ink and variegated leaf. Lim edition, 13.5” x 21.5”, £230 +pp #sciart #illustration #birdart #birds #starling #african

My printer stopped working a while ago. That’s it, I thought, how very inconvenient. I really haven’t got the funds to buy a replacement right now… Turns out it was just jammed by a pick that fell into its paper slot! Add this to ‘stupid reasons the printer stops working.’ #lucky #artistproblems

I know this sentiment is well shared, but every once in a while I think about how beautifully powerful and inspiring these paintings are.

Red Squirrel. Limited edition giclée print. Hand embellished with Dutch gold leaf, 12” x 17”. This little fellow was sitting in a tree outside my sister’s kitchen window, checking her worktop for nuts. They are not shy and will jump in. It’s available for £175 + pp. #art #sciart #squirrel #goldleaf

Malayan Peacock-pheasant, also known as crested peacock-pheasant. Conservation status of these stunning birds is endangered, due to habitat loss and deforestation. Hand embellished with variegated copper and purple pure silver leaf, 13.5” x 21.5”, £189 +pp #birdart #gilding #art #Januaryofferings

“Serenity” (or the not-so sleepy wood mice) - giclée print, hand embellished with metal leaf. 5/100, £85 + pp. Both wood mice and the dormice from my previous post are 8” x 10.5”, and make a great set. #artprint #goldleaf #mice #wildlifeart #Januaryofferings

“Tranquility” (sleepy dormice) - giclée print, hand embellished with metal leaf. 5/100, £85 + pp #artprint #goldleaf #dormice #wildlifeart #Januaryofferings

A whole stack of my hand embellished, limited edition fine art prints came just back from a gallery showing, and can now be acquired directly from me. I will take photos of them separately, bear with me… #fineart #gilding #artforsale #januaryofferings

Poor wood pidge. I’m relieved it survived the night, on an heating blanket, and is now looking a lot perkier than yesterday. It has a nasty slash under its wing, and lost most of its tail feathers. A certified bird rehabber is on the way to pick it up, and give it the proper care it needs.

Do I have, by any chance, a pigeon rehabber or vet following me? Our neighbours’ cat got a woody. I managed to get the bird, which is bleeding. No vets open around me. It’s currently in a warm and dark box with some water, hoping for the best. Is there anything else I can do until the vets open?

Something coming soon in the Wildlife art world…… 🐅🐆🦓🐘🦍🦏🦒🦛

Miniature painting I did a while ago, in front of my favourite book shelf (yes, I have several, but there are still books all over the floor. Need a much bigger place!) Talking of bookshelves: Show me yours!!! #books #booklove #bookshelves #morebooksthanbraincells #artbooks #referencematerial

The absolute unit has landed, fluff edition.

Thank you so much 🙏 for all the love! Would have never thought that I hit 1.2k within a few days of joining here. To introduce myself to new followers, here’s one of my oil paintings “The Thinker”, in a Venetian frame. The original has sold, prints are available. #gorilla #SciArt #painting #Wildlife

At a meeting in Marwell hall, having an impromptu tour with the ground keeper. The Tudor building and old fire places with King Edward’s arms carved from lime stone are very impressive, BUT: the house was built on/wrapped around a much older medieval hall from 1320.. 1/3🧵 #hampshire #history #tudors

Tiny, impromptu peafowl painted with beetroot water eight years ago yesterday, November 2016. An idea introduced to me by my friend @claudiahahn.bsky.social (whom you should also follow). Funny that I should be in the midst of painting another peafowl just now.

I made a starter pack of artists to follow 😀 #starterpack #artfollow go.bsky.app/JTv8hp3

Please share your blue art! 💙🖌️🎨 The Purple Emperor, also called the Black Prince, in Victorian times. Oil and dyed pure silver leaf, approx. 8 x 11 inches. Very shiny! ✨

My latest miniature painting, "Warmer Days Ahead", acrylic on paper. It's slightly too big to qualify for a classic miniature of 4" x 6", I haven't decided yet if I crop it, or just offer it for sale as it is. #Ptarmigan #grouse #gamebirds #birdart #Wildlifeart #miniaturepainting #traditionalart

Had my long horn beetle painting hanging on loan in a posh London restaurant (the owner LOVED it), but had to replace it with a more "inoffensive" painting as people didn't want to sit under it - it looked "too real". 🙄 Well, I'm glad my art touches people, in one way or another. 😆 #duh!

Talking of insects: I'm still working on expanding my illustrated Entomology collection. The goal is to create an interesting wrapping paper/material pattern with them. I haven't got enough species yet, it's still too repetitive on a sheet. Ongoing WIP. #SciArt #insects #illustration #art #zoology

Hi! I *finally* found my way here, hoping to reconnect to all the lovely folks that left other social media platforms. High hopes that we find here what we lost. x Here's one of my older illustration of a Thai ground beetle (Mouhotia Batesi Lewis). #SciArt #illustration #traditionalart #Entomology