Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver)
@ruths-portraits
Avian Artist | Birder | Ecologist & ECoW | Illustrator
I had an absolutely marvellous time at @globalbirdfair.bsky.social last weekend. It was my first time in the prestigious art tent and what an honour to be among such a talented line up. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, it was a pleasure to spend three days talking about birds! #birding 🪶
Wallcreeper: Tichodroma muraria, meaning in Ancient Greek “which runs on walls”. I have to say, this might be one of my favourite pieces I’ve drawn in a long time! Wallcreeper in coloured pencil on watercolour paper. #birding
Trying to get back into the habit of posting my art regularly- so here’s a bullfinch from a while back. It’s been a pleasure to see quite a few of these little fellas cheering up an otherwise very bleak winter! ❤️ 🪶 #birds
Pallas’s warblers are the best warbler and you can’t change my mind! #birding 🪶
Here’s the finished Siberian Thrush drawing. Bringing it to life on paper was a great way to relieve the memories of a really special bird! Coloured pencil on paper. Reference photo Jake K. #birding 🪶
Final Siberian Thrush drawing update before the original artwork and prints go live tomorrow! Without a doubt my bird of 2025 🥂 #birding 🪶
Adding in the best part of the Siberian Thrush today - those under-tail stripes 😍 Coloured pencil on paper Reference: Jake K #birding 🪶
Made a little bit of progress this morning on my Siberian Thrush drawing whilst the light was still good. My blue pencils haven’t been put to work for a while!! Reference photo: Jake K #birding 🪶
I’ve been thinking about starting this drawing since I was stood in my welly boots in the Loch of Asta! Thankfully, the Siberian Thrush showed well in the subsequent few days. Thank you to Jake K for the reference pic! #birding 🪶
Grey Partridge in the snow! Inspired by a wintery survey season on Yorkshire farmland (although sadly none of them showed quite this well!) Coloured pencil on watercolour paper Reference: Cameron Sharp #birding 🪶
As summer draws to a close, one fascinating bird, the Arctic Tern, is preparing to start an epic journey of over 14,000 miles toward the south polar region. “In search of the never setting sun” Coloured pencil on watercolour paper #birding 🪶
The textures on my grey partridge drawing are starting to take shape! Sadly I haven’t seen a grey partridge since I was last in Yorkshire some time in the winter. Do you see grey partridges in your area? Let me know! Reference photo with kind permission from Cameron Sharp #birding 🪶
Latest drawing is underway! Grey Partridges are one of my favourite birds to see on my farmland surveys so it seemed only right to get them on paper! Reference kindly provided by Cameron Sharp #birding 🪶
It’s been ages since I last drew a bird of prey - if hypothetically I was going to draw one soon… what would you like to see? I loved creating this drawing of male Merlin as part of the @btobirds.bsky.social book “Into the Red” 📕 back in 2022. Reference photo: Michael Sanders #birding 🪶
Of all the pieces I’ve drawn over the last 5 years, this one is probably closest to my heart. 🪶 Turtle Doves are struggling - in fact they are the UK’s fastest declining species. In the UK we have lost 98% of our turtle doves since 1967 🧵 #birding
It's been 3 years since the Turkestan Shrike was discovered at Bempton Cliffs (and my first twitch!) This was a fantastic bird to witness and it showed beautifully I couldn't resist capturing the moment on paper once I was home. #birding Ref: @birdphotos007.bsky.social
It’s looking like I might not manage my annual summer trip to RSPB Bempton Cliffs to see the seabirds but I’m very much enjoying all the content from people who have visited! Here’s my puffin drawing from a few years ago now 🐟 #birding 🪶 Reference photo: Luke Brady Johnson
I was out early on a dawn bird survey yesterday and the hares were a wonderful highlight as usual! It’s been a few years since I last drew a hare (one of my few no bird pieces) but I’m hoping I can change that soon 🐰 Coloured pencil on watercolour pencil Reference from Frances Crickmore
The original drawing is still looking for a home so if you’re interested please let me know!! www.ruths-portraits.com/product-page... #birding 🪶
I’ve been a bit quiet on here recently as I’ve had lots of private illustration work and surveys and I felt like I didn’t have much worth sharing - but I figured I have a lot of bits in the archive I haven’t shared in years!! So here’s a female stonechat drawn in coloured pencil! #birding 🪶
The cuckoos on Cannock Chase have been putting on quite the show recently! 😁 Sadly not quite in the same league as Colin (as I’ve drawn below) but a treat none the less! #birds 🪶
Last month I got to spend a week experiencing the magic of spring bird migration in Cyprus! 🇨🇾 So naturally, now I’m drawing all my favourite species from the trip. Here’s ✅ 1: Blue-Cheeked Bee Eater @birdlifecyprus.bsky.social #cyprusbirding 🪶
Big thank you to everyone who came along last Saturday to visit my stand at the @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social open day! It was so lovely to chat to so many fellow bird fans #birding 🪶
I also got cards printed because hey why not? 😄 www.ruths-portraits.com/product-page...
I cannot explain how happy I was to finally see my first ever Long-Eared owl today 😭 an absolute beauty! #birding #ukbirding 🪶