Craig’s background was in the Graphic Design Industry where he specialised in illustration and packaging for 25 years. This is where he developed his skill of precision and detail, his love of colour and ability to portray a subject using realism. From a young age he raised and rescued birds. Sparrows that had fallen from a nest, blackbirds, thrushes, and many other species spent time in his parents hot water cupboard. He moved on to raise and breed budgies for many years and began to draw birds as a youngster. Craig’s strong interest in the New Zealand outdoors through his love of surfing took him all over the country. It is from these years of observing the natural surroundings and gathering reference that he now draws on to develop his ideas to create his work. Some of these observations now take him to remote areas where he can sit and study subjects for hours in their natural environment. It is here, without distraction he gains an insight into the subtleties of a subjects behaviour. He also finds material in watching birds and how they interact with man made objects in their everyday life and how they inhabit our environment. The importance of our native birds in mythology is becoming more representative in Craig’s work and the sophisticated structure of beliefs and customs involving the birds of this land.

After all the research Craig works on a composition that resembles the vision of a painting he started with. The process begins with sketching and a colour study to see if all the elements in his mind will work. As an illustrator it is his love of colour and detail he looks for when studying a chosen subject and completing a finished piece. Craig uses oils on canvas or panel to produce the final work. The blocking in of the composition begins with broad brush strokes to fill the canvas until satisfied that it is what he wants as a base for the painting. Then building up the painting using finer and finer brushes to achieve the detail. At the end of the painting process he is almost sketching again but with fine brushes instead of pencil right down to the finest detail on a blade of grass or birds eye.

Please note: Because of the limitations of web pages we cannot show you the full range of extraordinary detail in each painting. However we are more than happy to email larger images Click here to join our mailing list for updates