Behind The Scenes

We wanted our RSPB print to feature as many real-life birds as possible and to be as full of movement as the feathered friends themselves! We started by choosing which birds to feature (you can meet some of them below) before beginning to draw them.

For our main print, we painted each bird by hand to try and capture the colour, movement and detailing of the feathers. We then played with colour and layering – we wanted it to feel like the birds were hiding in branches of a tree but were still easy enough to spot. We also chose blossom for the trees to represent the hope of spring, because although some of these birds are endangered, there is hope for them thanks to the RSPB’s fantastic work.

You might have spotted a few feathered friends hiding in our print, so allow us to introduce a few of them!

Meet the lesser redpoll: the lesser redpoll is a tiny, little thing at only 11.5cm in length, They like to hang upside down to feed in trees. (Can’t say we’re tempted to try it).

Meet the greenfinch: the greenfinch has a twittering, wheezing song and is mostly green and yellow.

Meet the house sparrow: house sparrows are noisy, cheerful birds who like to eat seeds and scraps. You can spot them in the UK all year round.

Sadly, the species mentioned here are all on the RSPB’s red list which means their species is globally threatened. You can read more about the RSPB’s conservation efforts here.

These pieces were inspired by our love of the British countryside and the creatures that live there, but also our fierce desire to protect them. With every purchase from this collection, we’ll be donating to the RSPB.

But that’s not the only way our RSPB collection is doing good. We’ve worked hard to make sure it includes pieces such as our Women’s Snug Coat that’s made using recycled wadding and outer fabric, our Valerie Dress that contains Eco-Vero viscose or our Women’s GoLightly Jacket that includes recycled polyester.

Every year, the RSPB runs the Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s the largest bird survey in the world and does really important work in helping increase understanding of the challenges faced by wildlife. Look out for it next year!

Pssst…Did you know? From just £6 a month, you can get a family membership for the RSPB, giving you and your family unlimited entry to more than 170 UK nature reserves and helping the RSPB save wildlife, protect wild places and connect people with nature. Check out the RSPB website here for more information.

You can also read more about the RSPB’s wonderful work on their website.