The European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) has repeatedly inspired my painting.
I love these characterful birds for so many reasons. Firstly, they are, to my eyes, a beautiful shape and size. But they’re also brilliant singers and copy other birds and sounds. We’ve heard them do the call of red kites and blackbirds – even car alarms. And I adore their plumage – iridescent purples, blues, greens pinks with gorgeous yellow chevrons at the tip of each feather.
The Eynsham Murmuration
I was inspired to make more paintings of starlings in January 2023 when a flock of up to 30,000 birds unexpectedly came to roost in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, for 6 weeks. We went out to observe them night after night. They gathered in vast numbers at sunset to roost safely together. Their shape-shifting, as they swirled around above our heads to avoid the sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons, frequently made us gasp out loud. These amazing shapes are called murmurations. Their aerial antics were astonishing. For all those reasons, I paint starlings.
On the telly! The Eynsham Murmuration was big news. One evening ITV Meridian News sent a reporter and cameraman out to film it! Watch it here. (I’m the enthusiastic mad woman at 57 seconds in…)
A selection of my paintings of starlings
My first phase painting starlings took place in 2015 and since them I have painted them in watercolour, gouache, drypoint, acrylic, and on the iPad. There are certain compositions I’ve made that I find so satisfying (flying in a group, perched on a reed) that I have returned to them time and time again as you’ll see as you scroll down this page.
Many of my original paintings have sold. But in most cases, I have digital files are available to buy for self-printing. Digital files enable you to make a one-off print in a size and format of your choice. Read how this works. It’s dead easy to do online. Please contact me if you would like to buy a digital file.
I also have packs of starlings greetings cards.
A pack of four is £9.50 including P&P to UK.
I hope you enjoy looking.
![]() Up, up and away! watercolour and gouache |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £27 |
![]() Starling Skyfall gouache |
AVAILABILITY
Original painting £200 Digital file for self-printing £27 |
![]() Eynsham murmuration watercolour |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £27 |
![]() The sun, the moon and the starlings watercolour |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £27 |
![]() Otmoor sunset |
AVAILABILITY Original painting £155Digital file for self-printing £27 10MG 3448 x 4862 180dpi |
![]() The Night comes down watercolour and drypoint |
AVAILABILITY Digital file for self-printing £27 10MG 3480 x 4848px 180dpi |
![]() All the colours of a starling watercolour and gouache |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £27 |
![]() Flying colours acrylic on canvas |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £37 |
![]() Starlings in a storm watercolour |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £37 |
![]() Murmuration acrylic on canvas |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £37 |
![]() Murmuration at dusk iPad |
AVAILABILITY
Digital file for self-printing £37 |
![]() Starling at sunset acrylic on canvas |
Digital file for self-printing £37
details on request |
![]() Starlings at night drypoint, watercolour and inks |
Digital file for self-printing £27 6MG 2658 x 3642px 300dpi |
![]() Murmuration at Otmoor watercolour |
Digital file for self-printing £25
5MG |
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