JACQUELINE DE MONTAIGNE
ORNITHOLOGY ADDICT
Born in Lisbon to a family originating from Porto but with Danish ancestors (north of Portugal), Jacqueline de Montaigne was raised in Saudi Arabia and Scotland which had never felt like home. Her summers and school holidays were spent in Cascais and the south of Portugal but it was only when she saw the swallows fly across the family swimming pool that she felt that she was truly home. Swallows, a symbol of Jacqueline's family for generations, was her 1st love or fascination of Ornithology, a branch of zoology focusing on the study of birds.
All secondary subjects (botanical, animal, texts) in the artists work have alternative representations with birds symbolising endurance, strength and survival as they fly for days without food or water to reach their destination.
Ornithology addict is a continuing body of work of small paintings of birds which the artist started painting in 2017 which now comprises of over 150 art works of scientifically detailed watercolours, oils and acrylic paintings encompassed in circles of 24ct gold, copper and fine silver leaf.