ARTIST: John Swatsley (United States, born 1937)
NAME: Illustration - White-tailed Tropical Bird Flying over Rainforest
YEAR: 1989
MEDIUM: gouache on board
CONDITION: Excellent. Very minor damages to corners.
SIGHT SIZE: 20 x 16 inches / 50 x 40 cm
BOARD SIZE: 27 x 22 inches / 68 x 55 cm
SIGNATURE: unsigned but comes with artist's business card and has publishing house label on verso
NOTE: This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood Mint Stamps of the World Collectors Panel for the Dominica Rain Forest stamp issue of January 15, 1989. The Tropicbird usually makes its home in crannies protected from sun and rain -- in cavities on coastal cliffs, under rocks or vegetation. Sometimes, though, it nests in colonies in trees. A solitary hunter, the Tropicbird most commonly forages for its food alone or with a single companion, catching small flying fish above the sea's surface or skimming the water and diving shallowly in pursuit of other kinds of marine life.
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
CATEGORY: antique vintage painting
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SKU#: 117592
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BIOGRAPHY:
Living in different locales, gave John a love of travel and a chance to observe nature in all its variety. This, along with seeing the work of the great illustrators at the end of the illustration era, were the early steps to a lifetime in art. After high school he was accepted by the prestigious Art Center School in Los Angeles. There he received the foundations in design and painting necessary for a professional artist. After military obligations, he enjoyed a career in magazine art direction and freelance illustrations for philatelic first day covers of new stamp issues. Winning first place in the National Forest Service Centennial stamp competition was a life-changing event, making possible the first of six trips to Africa. Those trips opened up a spectacular array of subjects, leading to a new approach in his art. From a long time use of watercolors, he moved into oils, as he felt they were better suited to the effects he wanted to achieve. "In my new work I strive for the painting to not only represent the beauty of the subjects themselves, but for the painting as a whole to stand as a work of art." John explains, "The viewer can enjoy the piece on different levels; interpretation, color, textures and a fresh approach to design". Swatsley's work shows a freedom in grouping different species together in one composition using imaginative settings that call for the viewer's own participation in the creative process. In his art, you will sense something of the mystery one feels when alone in a quiet corner of creation.