'Etched Feathers' Exhibit Takes Flight At Tampa Bay History Center

TAMPA, FL — Birds have mesmerized and inspired artists for centuries from Leonardo DaVinci who wrote "Codex on the Flight of Birds" and produced hundreds of drawings of birds in flight, to self-trained French-American artist, naturalist and ornithologist John James Audubon, whose major work, a color-plate book titled "The Birds of America" published in 1827, is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed.

"Etched Feathers: A History of the Printed Bird" examines the works and artistic processes of artists determined to capture the essence of winged beauty, with a focus on printmaker John Costin, who has his studio in Tampa.

The exhibit can be viewed in the Wayne Thomas Gallery at the Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Waters Ave., Tampa, through Oct. 15.

"I have always been fascinated by birds; their beauty and ability to fly," said Costin, who received his bachelor of arts degree in fine arts from the University of South Florida in 1982. "My interest in art began at a very young age, using crayons on the walls in my grandmother's house. She probably was not too happy about that. I studied art history and printmaking in college. Though I started working as an electrician in my early 20s, I knew it was temporary. I wanted to be an artist."

To create his colorful and realistic bird prints, Costin uses one to five copper plates that are individually hand-wiped with various colors of ink to create an image on paper.

Then each piece is meticulously hand colored. The plates take months to create and many weeks of proofing are done before an acceptable piece is created.

"It is a combination of drawing, sculpture and painting," Costin said, noting his process is the oldest printing process in the world. Rembrandt, Goya and other fine artists were printmakers.

Costin uses no computers or photography. Each piece is handmade and hand-painted. Though the editions may range from 1 to 250, no two pieces are the same, he said. Click here to view a PBS segment on Costin's printmaking process.

Living in Florida, Florida wading and shore birds are a natural focus for Costin.

For his work, "Roseate Spoonbill in Flight," Costin used four plates to create the original hand-painted etching.

"I wanted to show a life-size female roseate spoonbill flying majestically over the water's edge in her exquisite breeding plumage," Costin said. "Tampa Bay has the largest nesting population of spoonbills in the country, so I am fortunate to see them frequently. Each etching is meticulously hand-painted with transparent watercolors, giving it exceptional color similar to the actual bird."

His Florida Bird Series III, also a four-plate etching, features the roseate spoonbill along with some other familiar birds: a brown pelican, a white pelican and a tricolored heron. Three are permanent Florida residents while the white pelican is a true snowbird, migrating from Canada to Florida each year.

A subtle creative feature of this etching is that the landscape grasses meet from one plate to the next.

"The viewer is looking through four windows at these wonderful water birds," Costin said.

The plates are hand-printed with black ink, then all the colors are hand-painted with transparent watercolor, making each piece unique.

Costin's works are on display at The Audubon Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, the Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa and Artana Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts. There are also public and corporate collections of Costin's bird prints at the Tampa Museum of Art, the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg, Eckerd College, the State Library of Florida in Tallahassee, the Moffitt Cancer Center and Raymond James Financial in St. Petersburg, to name a few.

Brad Massey, curator of public history for the Saunders Foundation, will share what he discovered while researching "Etched Feathers: A History of the Printed Bird," in a members-only reception on Wednesday, March 22, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Click here.

The Tampa Bay History Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Costin's artwork is available for purchase here.