The original book of the Author's never-before-seen bird paintings is presented as his sketchbook of more than 100 birds that he has compiled over the past 30 years as an artist exploring the natural world. He paints in his own highly recognizable style and has been awarded national and international awards for his work not just for his painting. His work brings to the reader an incorporation of his understanding of the environment, the unique nature and culture of the birds he is painting, and his amazing use of color and artistry to portray the birds themselves. He is highly recognized by the general public, especially in his hometown of New Orleans, where he has an open gallery that shows his work exclusively and is well-known to the local population as well as visitors.
Alex Beard (b. 1970) is an American artist best known for his elaborate wildlife compositions created in his singular style coined "Abstract Naturalism". He is a painter, illustrator, author, and conservationist. Born and raised in New York City, Alex has been based out of New Orleans for much of the last 30 years. He earned his BA in History at Tufts University and studied art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, at the New York Studio School as a participant in the famed Drawing Marathon, and subsequently at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. Alex's work figures prominently in several public and private collections across the U.S. and abroad. He has exhibited extensively, including significant one man shows in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Hong Kong. His art is in the permanent collections of both The Ogden Museum of Southern Art and The New Orleans Museum of Art and he was the recipient of the Kohlmeyer Legacy Award. Alex is a critically acclaimed best-selling author. His collection Tales from the Watering Hole (published by Abrams and Greenleaf) currently includes four titles, and his artwork is the subject of the G Editions published volume A Brush with Nature: Abstract Naturalism and the Painting of Life. His next book is titled For the Birds: An Artist's Aviary and is scheduled for publication in 2025. Alex is also a conservationist. In 2012 he created The Watering Hole Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Public Charity dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered wildlife and the environments in which they live. He is on the U.S. Board of Directors for the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. In 2019 Alex received the Coastal Stewardship Award from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Alex and his wife, with their two children, two dogs, two cats, a hedgehog, a turtle, and a mess of other critters, live at their home The Pink Elephant in New Orleans' historic Garden District.
