JOHN COSTIN STUDIO

The elegant Great Egret is the most common egret in the U.S. During breeding season, it grows long feathery plumes called aigrettes to attract a mate. These wispy feathers were once used as decorations in fashionable ladies’ apparel. This egret is displaying its physical prowess to attract a mate. It is a 4 plate etching using ten different inks, then hand-colored with watercolors.

This beauty of the Great Blue Heron during breeding season is indeed a spectacle to behold! Standing at nearly 5 feet tall; it is the largest heron commonly seen in North America. They are the most widespread herons in North America, located in every state including Hawaii. This etching was created with four separate copper plates imbuing it with a rich color quality that is a feast for the eyes! Finished with transparent watercolors, it excels like the bird.

These small 3-inch birds that weigh about 1 oz. and beat their wings about 53 times per second, are found on the eastern half of the United States. They have great vision and see a wider spectrum of colors than the human eye, which helps distinguish flowers. This hand-colored etching presents the pair life size and is enhanced by using iridescent watercolors that sparkle.

This four-plate etching displays a Roseate Spoonbill, Brown Pelican, White Pelican and a Tri-colored Heron. A subtle creative feature of this etching is that the landscape grasses meet from one plate to the next. The viewer is looking through four windows at these wonderful water birds. The plates are hand-printed with black ink then all the colors are hand painted with transparent watercolor making each piece unique!

Roseate Spoonbills have such an unusual beak and head, this piece focuses on these attributes. This etching was printed from the large “Roseate Spoonbill in Flight” plate on Arches watercolor paper with one ink, black. This watercolor paper gives more latitude in applying watercolor because it has more glue (sizing) then the normal printmaking paper used for editions. All the colors are hand painted. I consider this a varied edition where each print varies considerably, different colors and forms in the sky. Each is an original watercolor.

“DaVinci’s Song” is a 4-plate etching that depicts a Cardinal, Robin, Meadowlark and a Mockingbird in a life size format. This a poetic piece is about the correlation between art and science; when we hear birds sing, the art like melody is beautiful music for our enjoyment. For our avian friends, it is pretty much a scientific event to attract a mate, protect a territory, warn of predators, etc. The birds are life size, and etching is hand-painted.

These graphically designed birds are designed to be avian submarines, holding their breath for 5 minutes and diving up to 250 under water. Most birds have hollow bones to conserve weight to make flying less burdensome, but loons have solid bones which assist in diving. This is a single plate etching printed with fours colors, then entirely hand-painted with watercolors.

One of the most colorful ducks in North America, Wood Ducks were once considered on the brink of extinction due to nesting habitat loss and hunting. Protective laws and availability of nesting boxes have brought this species back to a healthy population. This is a single plate etching printed with fours colors, then entirely hand-painted with transparent watercolors.

This bird is designed to dive in water after fish, a spectacle to watch. It has binocular vision allowing it to move the eyes within their sockets, giving it a better way to view of fish in water by reducing reflection angles. In addition, it also has accurate depth perception. This image is of a life size female, one of the few species where the female is more colorful that the male. The etching is four plates, then hand colored.

One of the smallest members of the heron family makes up for size by their vocal assertiveness and physical adjustments. Their accordion neck and exuberant crest will command attention from anyone that interrupts their daily routine. It is one of the few species of birds that uses tools to capture prey. This life size etching is created with four copper plates, then hand-painted with watercolors.

Years ago, I used to refer to Great Egrets with just their necks and heads protruding from the saw grass as “hooks” and still like that reference. They have a presence in a grassy wetland field that makes me think about precious moments, nature, and the passing of time. Our most magnificent Egret in North America adds a touching note to this landscape. The etching was created with 4 plates, then hand-painted with transparent watercolors.

This Great Blue Heron is keeping a watchful eye on this sublime landscape teeming with life below the surface. These environments are the life blood of the aquatic ecosystems and act as nurseries for a multitude of creatures. This species practically inhabits every coastal area in the U.S. The etching was created with 4 plates, then hand-painted with transparent watercolors.

Also called the “American Flamingo”, this bird is a striking coral red that would captivate any viewer. Ironically the first-year birds are brown and white, greatly different from the adults. The landscape depicts the Greater Antilles where they are found in addition to South Florida. This is a four plate, hand-colored etching that is hand-painted with transparent watercolors.

The rarest egret in North America, the Reddish Egret is primarily a coastal bird inhabiting saltwater estuaries. They get their food from tidal washes that shift bait with the current. The most animated of egrets, they are entertaining to watch as they jump, leap, wave wings, and run after their prey. A small percentage have all white feathers, referred to a white morph, but retain the same blue legs and pink lores. This is a four plate, hand-colored etching.

An active hunter, this heron can be animated with wings open when stalking prey. The white chest and grey feathers make it distinctive from other herons its size. It has learned to coordinate its hunting practice with other birds, letting other species stir up fish that it will ambush. The life size etching is created with four plates, 8 inks, and hand-painted with watercolors.

One of my personal favorite herons, the Little Blue has a subdued character when searching for prey, focused, and determined. Native Americans relate to blue herons symbolically as self-reliance and self-determination, the ability to evolve and progress. During the first year of their life cycle, their feathers are all white which has a practical function of improving their survival rate because they blend in with other white egrets. A four-plate hand-colored etching.

Great Blue Herons are upper-level predators of sawgrass marshes, stalking prey with stealth and guile. With a sharp eye for movement, they can attack with precision and speed using their beak like a spear. This etching was printed from the large “Great Blue” plate on Arches watercolor paper with one ink, black. This watercolor paper gives more latitude in applying watercolor because it has more glue (sizing) then the normal printmaking paper used for editions. All the colors are hand painted. I consider this a varied edition where each print varies considerably, different colors and forms in the sky. Each is an original watercolor.