Wildlife artist Mike DiGiorgio writes: “The profession of illustration is an extremely difficult one today. Add the element of primarily painting birds, and you come up with an almost impossible endeavor.” The modern-day bird illustrator has many obstacles to overcome, from publishers’ easy access to bird photography to shrinking magazine and book sales. In his presentation, DiGiorgio will trace his personal journey, beginning as a boy with a hopeless obsession with common city backyard birds, to later rural searches for warblers, herons, and nightjars — all in his quest to capture them in line and color. Louis Fuertes was his main artistic hero, and Don Eckelberry, who asked him to join his group of artists, his primary mentor.
