A Life in Detail

Observation is the name of the game as far as Terance Bond is concerned and his prowess at this most essential of birding skills is immediately obvious in his work: the texture of a rusty chain lying discarded among beach stones; the maze of claw prints in snow that mark a fight to the death between Peregrine and prey; the wispy down of reed mace about to float away on the breeze. Their environment exquisitely drawn, the birds themselves are no less perfect, their plumage finely executed feather by individual feather.

In striving for a perfect imitation of reality, Bond does occasionally produce a ‘wooden’ bird, but for the most part his subjects are poised for flight, caught in mid-song or, in the case of the Peregrine, about to tear into its prey. In all cases, the bird’s jizz is faithfully rendered.

In traditional manner, the book is divided into chapters that reflect different environments: gardens, buildings, mountain and moorland, coast and the like. Somewhere in the middle, though – the sixth of eight chapters – is a title that immediately prompted me to turn to page 106. In ‘Painting by numbers’ Bond describes – and gives examples of – the seven stages of his painting, from ‘inspiration and drawing’ through to ‘completed’. It’s a fascinating insight into a work in progress.

Bond’s powers of observation are not restricted to his art: accompanying each portrait is a commentary that demonstrates how much he has learned about the natural world around him merely from looking at it closely. While his realistic style may not be to everyone’s taste, it’s hard not to marvel at his dedication and skill.

• A Life in Detail by Terance James Bond (Langford Press, Peterborough, 2006).

• 180 pages, about 130 paintings.

• ISBN 9781904078173. Hbk, £35.

Available from Birdwatch bookshop

First published in Birdwatch 190:52 (April 2008)