JOHN COSTIN STUDIO

This is a life size etching of a Painted Bunting, the most colorful songbird in North America. Being an attractive bird comes with a price, they were caught and sold to collectors in Europe since the early 19th century, and to this day conservation groups still must protect them. With the onset of climate change, their range is gradually modifying. The bird’s French name is “nonpareil”, which translates to “without equal”. The etching was created using one copper plate with under color and hand painted with transparent watercolors.