Gerald Durrell is one of my favorite naturalists and authors and I read all his books front to back at some point. I searched through the blog and found out that I almost never mention him and rarely post from my ongoing project "Portraits of my heroes". I keep it on a slow burner but it is a long list of people whose portraits I draw through every year to honor and remember them - and I will share more of them.
Gerald Durrell was a human whose passion for the animal world continued from a very young age till the end of his life. It brought him to important work of conservation and preservation of wildlife around the world, he traveled the world, met and made friends with thousands of people and animals, and inspired generations of naturalists. His work continues to illuminate our world through Jersey Zoo (note Dodo in the logo) and through the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. But even more so through his writing which ignites a passion in people of all ages and from all backgrounds and connects them to nature near and far. His ability to tell a story simultaneously funny and full of interesting facts and make me fall in love with an animal I never dreamt I would see in real life is what made me a Durrell fan as a kid. And it continues to this day.
This past week, on January 7th, was Durrell's birthday and he would have turned 100. I drew these two portraits - of Gerald Durrell and his mother Louisa Durrell - with the super quick addition of some of the animals that first come to my mind when I think about these two people. The story of a pelican and Louisa is always on my mind when I think of what one might consider to be a result of good parenting.
If you never read Durrell's books I suggest starting with "My family and other animals".
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