Episode 111: Kelly C. Ballantyne – A birding life

Kelly is a Chicago-based bird artist and photographer. Using a variety of digital and analogue techniques, Kelly is creating a series of 100 bird paintings as a way of documenting the wide variety of birds in her local forest preserve.

Listen to hear more about:

  • The people who encouraged Kelly’s love of birds in early life.

  • The vacation that turned Kelly into a birder.

  • Art and its importance in Kelly’s life.

  • Kelly’s project ‘100 Birds of LaBagh Woods’.

  • Birding and nature journaling in all seasons and all weather.

  • How painting birds helps Kelly become connected with different species.

  • The Chicago Nature Journaling Club.

  • Using a wide range of art media.

  • The trap of perfectionism.

  • Art challenges and how they help Kelly maintain a regular art practice.


To find out more about Kelly and her work visit https://www.kellycballantyne.com. You can also find Kelly on Instagram @kcballantyne.

Kelly mentioned an inspiring nature journaling course by Liz Clayton Fuller. You can find it here: Nature Journaling and Field Sketching.


John Muir Law’s book was also a source of inspiration for Kelly. You can find it here: The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling.

Kelly mentioned https://ebird.org as an important source of information when researching birds.

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Thanks for listening!

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Episode 112: Mirja Brandorff – Sensing the seasons

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Episode 110: Dion Dior – Untethered curiosity