Eagle Art

Bald Eagle, Betty Cummings

A few years ago I wrote on the subject of Avian Art. Birds are among the favorite subjects of many (if not most) wildlife artists. And from what I can see in reviewing such works it would seem that the favorite among favorites is the eagle. The eagle family tree has as many as sixty branches. Most of the 60 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Only 14 can be found outside this area. Nine reside in Central and South America, and three in Australia. Just two can be found in North America--the golden eagle (below), and most familiar of all, the bald eagle (above). Thus these two eagles have proven to be the most popular with wildlife artists.

Golden Eagle,  Morten E. Solberg

The golden eagle is one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. The golden eagle is a very large, dark brown raptor with broad wings. This species’ wingspan is the fifth largest amongst extant eagle species. The golden eagle ranks as the second heaviest breeding eagle in North America, Europe and Africa but the fourth heaviest in Asia. While many accipitrids are not known for their strong voices, golden eagles have a particular tendency for silence, even while breeding.

Eagles, Lin iang, a Chinese Ming period painting in watercolor.

It's quite likely that the first paintings of eagles were Chinese in origin. Such works no doubt looked much like the Ming dynasty work above. Notice the strong verticality of the composition combined with an exquisite rendering of the feathers. Today, another Chinese artist, Lok Kuang carries on the watercolor legacy (below). Kuang is a Los Angeles-based illustrator from southern China, who graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. The combination of eastern and western culture allows Lok to create a unique visual language. Lok also creates concept designs for animation films and games; as well as illustrations for newspaper and magazines.

Bald Eagle Landing,  Lok Kuang 

Eagles. as with most birds, are active creatures not likely to pose more than a few seconds for any would-be avian artist. Thus the eagle painter is beholden to wildlife photos, which would account for the fact that most such art is limited to little more than a dozen stereotypical poses. Likewise as the national symbol, they are often linked by artists with various patriotic flag depictions as seen by an artist named Engle Bob (below). Notice too the similarities in the pose.

Eagle Flag, Engle Bob

Eagle, Red, White, and Blue, Carol Cavalaris

One of the other traits no-ticeable in virtually all depic-tions of the bald eagle is that they always appear angry. I'm not sure this is the best "face" to put on a national symbol in that it suggests that our nation is likewise always angry. Perhaps we could call this "look" simply determined. The bald eagle has become such a masculine figure it's hard to think in terms of a female eagle. We might also recall that in selecting a national symbol, the thinking was not altogether unanimous. It's said that Benjamin Franklin lobbied for the turkey. In retrospect, I'm not sure that would have been a wise choice either, given that down through the years, "turkey" has come to be used as a derogatory noun.

About to Launch

One of the more intricate eagle tattoos

Eagle tattoos capture the loftiness and wonder of this valiant bird. The Haliaeetus leucocephalus as a tattoo style is incredibly popular. The ea-gle tattoo is Associate in the American image of military service or to point out our love for the USA. This noble bird of prey is additionally in style as an illustration of freedom. Ea-gle tattoos are usually com-bined with a spread of different style components like crosses, social groups, or military sub-jects to create a very dis-tinctive depiction. The Eagle tattoo is a mainstays in the up-to-date tattoo business as it has been for decades. This motif has become popular with men and women alike. Moreover, eagle tattoos are enticing and distinguished options that might merely capture attention without fuss. This type of tattoo is in style among individuals of several specific clusters, interests, and lines of labor or profession such as service men and women, law enforcement officials, and troopers. This tattoo style encompasses a cultural and historical essence preferred among individuals in authority.

Juvenile Bald Eagle by Corina

One can find a good as-sortment of eagle tattoo styles with top quality patterns, care options, and different vital components that might create a stimulating body design. There are many websites providing access to thousands of styles in their galleries and databases. The eagle tattoo image is essentially an illus-tration of varied meanings connected with public service and security. Eagles represent soaring to new heights. Any-one preparing for such a tat-too can also get voluminous inspiration as to where to place an eagle tattoo. Eagle tattoo designs are also extremely popular among patriots, environmentalists, bikers, and political extremists. In ancient times, the eagle has also been connected with the power of the sun. Egyptians used to worship eagles, while the Greeks considered the eagle to be a symbol of Zeus.

The Eagle Has Landed. Eagles can not only be

found all over the world, but even on the moon.