She has travelled the world painting impressive wildlife from the Arctic to Antarctica.
Now award-winning artist Claire Harkess brings a spotlight to the animals in her own Scottish backyard for a new exhibition in Crieff.
The Perthshire-based artists swapped the blue-footed booby for a focus on blue tits as part of the 'Fine Feather’ exhibition which is underway at the Strathearn Gallery.
“There is a bit of trepidation ahead of the exhibition because for those of us in the UK, this isn’t just my back door environment, it’s everybody’s back door," she said.
"So it’s not me bringing back any kind of exotic blue-footed booby - this is all our environment.
"But I’m also very excited because of that and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone.”
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Ms Harkess has previously been named David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year for her work inspired by years of travelling to far-flung places such as Kenya and the Galapagos Islands.
After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art, the watercolour painter found a passion for adventure while working as an artist-in-residence at Edinburgh Zoo.
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Speaking on her global experiences, she said: "It all came from working at Edinburgh Zoo - that gave me a real desire to go and visit the habitats and environments the animals came from and that’s where all the travelling started.
"The first place I went was Australia, while standout trips have included Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands.
“The Antarctic just blew me away really, it was just spectacular, a real wilderness with nature reduced to its very bare elements, home to incredible species of seabirds and other animals.
“It was the most amazing place, and we went to Salisbury Plain, home to 250,000 king penguins, who were all so curious and were pecking at our boots.
“The other stand-out place was the Galapagos, where every island has its own unique wildlife, with swimming iguanas, flightless cormorants and giant turtles.
"You immerse yourself in these places and bring it home to make sense of it and digest it, and think ‘how on earth can I paint this, it’s all so spectacular? But you have to try.”
But ahead of the Covid lockdown, she decided to focus on the glory of the birds found within a 15-minute walk of her home in Perth.
This has included common garden birds such as great tits and goldfinches, but also some of our rarer visitors such as eagle owls and waxwings.
When the country was put on lockdown, she continued her 'square mile' project.
Ms Harkess said: “This exhibition came about organically. I was doing small things like walking out the front door and appreciating what we have here. - the work is very much based on what is around and what you see going for a walk.
“It’s amazing what we can find on our doorstep by just being present and paying attention. You can see wonderful things from just a wander round the park, or even something unexpected like going to a supermarket and you see a wren singing its heart out or 200 waxwings just arrived from Scandinavia.
“There are so many birds out there that are just so beautiful."
She had been working with the gallery, owned by husband-and-wife duo Susan and Scott Bennet, since its inception in 1994.
“Claire should really be considered a modern master of watercolour - she pushes the boundaries like no other," Ms Bennet said.
"She is constantly experimenting and trying new techniques, moving outside of her comfort zone just to try and find something different or unique.
“Fine Feather focuses on our native birds and wildlife. The message the last few years have taught us is that we don’t really need to travel far away to find inspiration or see beauty. We are lucky to be surrounded by birds and wildlife and they are part of our everyday life."
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The gallery owner also expressed their delight at the artist's return to their gallery.
Ms Bennet added: “Claire has been showing with the gallery for nearly 30 years and it’s been a privilege to be able to champion her work and career - from early days to where she is now, as one of the best wildlife artists working today.
“It’s been a number of years since we’ve had a Solo Exhibition of this scale with Claire, taking over both floors of the gallery, so we’re hugely excited.”
The Claire Harkess RSW ‘Fine Feather’ Solo Exhibition opens at the Strathearn Gallery, Crieff, runs until May 21.
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