Paintings of starlings

Paintings of starlings – a little bird that inspires my art
28th March 2023 Jane Tomlinson

starling and reedsThe 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.

starlings greetings cards

Click on the image to see these cards…

Click on the image to see these cards…

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.

 Starlings up, up and away
Up, up and  away!
watercolour and gouache
AVAILABILITY

Digital file for self-printing £27
20MG
3984 x 4448px
300dpi


Starling Skyfall
gouache
AVAILABILITY

Original painting £200

Digital file for self-printing £27
6MG
3643 x 2586px
180dpi


Eynsham murmuration
watercolour
AVAILABILITY

Digital file for self-printing £27
7MG
3660 x 3672px
180dpi


The sun, the moon and the starlings
watercolour
AVAILABILITY

Digital file for self-printing £27
5MG file
3264 x 2328px
180dpi

Otmoor Sunset - Starling murmuration

Otmoor sunset
watercolour and drypoint

AVAILABILITY
Original painting
£155Digital file for self-printing £27
10MG
3448 x 4862
180dpi
The Night Comes Down - Starling murmuration
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
18MG
3984 x 4448px
300dpi

Flying colours
Flying colours
acrylic on canvas
AVAILABILITY

Digital file for self-printing £37
7MG
2688 x2700px
180dpi

Starlings in a storm
Starlings in a storm
watercolour
AVAILABILITY

Digital file for self-printing £37
4MG
2220x2285px
180dpi


Murmuration
acrylic on canvas
AVAILABILITY

Digital file for self-printing £37
4MG
2396 x 2372px
180dpi


Murmuration at dusk
iPad
AVAILABILITY

Digital file for self-printing £37
8MG
3600 x 3600px
96dpi

Starling at sunset
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
3264 x 2328px
180dpi