Ozark Birds of Prey

This is the Ozark Birds of Prey project. My goal is to paint at least two of each species, working in series by the species. The list spans all of the Ozark birds of prey, which includes Arkansas, Missouri, and far eastern Oklahoma. As I get each one finished, I’ll link it to the gallery page over at PaleoPaints.com. 

Wild-crafted Ozark Pigments – A Unique Artistic Angle

The thing that sets my work apart is the color. Before I make a painting, first I make the paint. And before I make the paint, there are pigments to gather. I collect rocks, clay, and a couple of plants I know to produce light-fast pigments to create the palette used for each painting. If you’re interested in this process of making paint, check out my page on making watercolor paints.

The Latest Finished Ozark Birds of Prey Painting

The List: Ozark Birds of Prey (26 species)

The list is broken into sections by type of raptor. This particular project encompasses only those birds of prey that can be seen in the Ozarks, but the larger collection will include all North American Birds of Prey.

Hawks (11 species)

• Red-shouldered (one portrait finished, April 2019)
• Red-tailed (one portrait finished, July 2019)
• Sharp-shinned (need photos)
• Northern goshawk (Completed series)
  • Goshawk No. 1(4th painting, January 2019)
  • Goshawk No. 2 (Rhapsody) (5th painting, January 2019)
• Northern harrier (need photos)
• Ferruginous (need photos)
• Rough-legged (need photos)
• Swainson’s (need photos)
• Broad-winged (need photos)
• Harris (need photos)
• Cooper’s (need photos)

Falcons (4 species)

• American kestrel (Completed series)
  • Kestrel No. 1 (1rst painting, July 2018)
  • Kestrel No. 2 (2nd painting, July 2018)
  • Kestrel No. 3 (3rd painting, August 2018)

• Merlin (need photos)

• Peregrin (need more photos flying/landing)

• Gyrfalcon (need photos)

Eagles (2 species)

• Bald eagle (have photos already)
• Golden eagle (need photos)

Owls (7 species)

• Great horned (finished Nov 2021)
• Barred (need photos)
• Barn (need photos)
• Screech (need photos)
• Northern saw whet (need photos)
• Long-eared (need photos)
• Short-eared (need photos)

Vultures (2 species)

• Turkey (need photos)
• Black (need photos)

About the Artist and the Birds of Prey Project

Hi, I’m Madison Woods. I use foraged, light-fast pigments (from rocks, clay, or plants) to create the paint I use in my work. All of the colors you’ll see in my birds of prey in this project will be Ozark colors, except where I’ve used a bright white. That white is made from a clean chalk powder.

First I collect the rocks, then I smash them and grind them to a powder. Once that is done I make watercolor paints by adding a solution of gum Arabic to the pigment. My art is literally created from the ground up.

I’m not painting in any particular order on the list above. However, I do tend to work in series. When I choose the next subject, I’ll prepare to paint two or three of that species. So that comprises a ‘series’. Once I get all of a family done (i.e. ‘hawks’, ‘falcons’, ‘owls’, etc.), all of the series of the various species will comprise a ‘collection’.

So far, as of February 2019, I have two raptor series (kestrels and goshawks) and no Birds of Prey collections yet completed. I began painting in July of 2018. If I keep to the current production rate, I should get around one per month completed.

Are You a Photographer/Birder?

Hey birders! If you have good photos of any I haven’t done yet and want to let me use them for reference, email me! My addy is madison@wildozark.com. I’ll be happy to send you a signed print.

Many thanks go to the following photographers. I’ve used their images for the birds so far completed:

• Terry Stanfill of Siloam Springs/Gravette (all kestrels, red-shouldered hawk)
• Javier Sanz, of Spain (Goshawk No. 2, “Rhapsody”)
• Nicoli Gianluca, of Italy (Goshawk No. 1)
• Lars Jones, of Florida (red-shouldered hawk)
• Shelby Townsend, of Louisiana (peregrine)

More Information

You can see all of my paintings at PaleoPaints.com. The links in the list above bring you to the process page for that particular painting. Also in the list, the information in parenthesis indicates the order in which the birds were painted and the month/year it was created. I began painting altogether in July 2018, self-taught. My handmade watercolors are the only paint I’ve ever used. 

If you’re interested in following along as I paint, look for me on Instagram (@wildozark). I usually post a lot of progress pics throughout the process.

I’d love to know if you’re following my work, so please leave a comment to let me know you were here. A comment also helps my website rank better in search engines, which brings more traffic my way. Thank you!