Raptor Artwork Western Sporting

Raptor Artwork and Artist Profiles

R. David Digby

At the age of 14, Ron's family moved, and he had the good fortune to discover his next door neighbor was the well-known bird artist and falconer, David Reid-Henry. The sight of a peregrine or goshawk together on David's lawn, with his outstanding painting, at once captivated Ron. Reid-Henry, who painted in the tradition of Wolf and Lodge, gave Ron informal tutoring in painting birds over a period of seven years.

Ron lives with his wife Sheila on the coast of Essex, England. Over the years he has flown goshawks, sparrowhawks and peregrines.

His painting career and interest in falconry has taken him to many of the continental countries, North and South Africa, United States and Malaysia. In 1982 he illustrated the 44 paintings in Tom Cade's book, Falcons of the World, and in 1988 took part in illustrating Hal Webster's book, Game Hawking at its Very Best.

Al Ross

Warren Alfred (Al) Ross, a native of Utah, has lived his life in close proximity to a great variety of wildlife and equestrian subjects. A master falconer with forty years experience, he has trained and flown many of North America's raptors. He has specialized in passage merlins for over twenty years. He brings to his art a sensitivity that only comes with a close association and study of his subjects.

	*Andrew E. Ellis* Andrew was born in 1971 and has lived all his life on the edge of a small market town in south Devon, England. Growing up in this rural setting ensured an exposure to nature from an early age. Andrew showed an interest in wildlife at all times with a particular passion for birds of prey and falconry. At the age of fourteen, he came into contact with two local falconers who together encouraged and helped to develop his talents, and also taught him the techniques and technology of falconry.
By the age of eighteen, Andrew had illustrated his first book on game birds and shooting, "The Shooting Gun," which contained thirty-two full-color plates. The next stage of Andrews career occurred in 1991 when he first exhibited at England's national Falconry Fair. This provided him exposure to falconry art collectors who now form a major part of Andrew's clientele. More recently he became well known for his wildlife paintings with collectors in America. Andrew is now thirty-one and has been a practicing falconer for many years.

Roy Lee DeWitt

Roy Lee DeWitt got his first hawk in 1960 as a young boy and has practiced the sport of falconry since that time.

In 1970, inspired by the pencil drawings of Robert Katona, he decided to devote some energies to making some meaningful drawings. He focused on producing a few of his favorite impressions to share with other falconers. The results of those efforts are represented in his three prints you can find on this web site.

Roy has also started to produce videos about falconry and raptors.

He is a software developer in Atlanta, Georgia.

Artist: Hans Peeters

Hans Peeters is best known for his raptor and falconry subjects, which he paints with an understanding and knowledge derived from 50 years of flying hawks himself.

Because he is also a biologist, his hawks and settings are painted with exceptional accuracy.

He is co-author and illustrator of a fine collector's book, American Hawking (now out of print), and his paintings have appeared in many other falconry and wildlife art books, in field guides, and museums. His original paintings are sold around the world.