The Birdman’s Wife: Artwork

In her eleven year career working as principal artist for her husband John Gould, Elizabeth Gould drew, painted and lithographed some 650 hand-coloured lithographs to illustrate the couple’s magnificent folios, featuring many of the world’s most beautiful bird species. Elizabeth, who was not a professionally trained artist, learned lithography from Edward Lear, who not only invented the limerick but was also one of the greatest natural history illustrators of the time. In discussing Elizabeth’s artworks, I had many requests and suggestions that it would be wonderful to include some of her hand-coloured lithographs in my novel. My dream for more than a decade, was to have a novel published. I am very fortunate to have signed with Affirm Press, who have worked tirelessly — many, many thanks to Christa Moffett, Karen Cook, Kathryn Lafferty and Fiona Henderson — for all the work you have put into finding, funding and designing these exquisite endpages featuring the artworks of Elizabeth Gould. (The indigo macaw is Edward Lear’s.) I could not be more pleased and excited!

The Birdman’s Wife will be produced in hardcover, the inside cover featuring Elizabeth Gould’s complete hand-coloured lithograph of the superb fairy wrens and their young, which are shown flying out of the front cover on the dust jacket. I can’t wait to have the final copy in my hot little hands! Please enjoy!