Lavishly illustrated, beautifully produced and in large format, this book is a stunning new edition of Colin See-Paynton’s book Of a Feather first published by Gwasg Gregynog in an edition of just one hundred and fifty. Now this superb new limited edition of seven hundred and fifty copies makes See-Paynton’s work available to a much wider public.

A lexicon of avian collective nouns extensively researched, compiled, written, and illustrated by Colin See-Paynton the book draws on a lifetime’s love and experience of art and nature and is the result of four years intensive work. The highly informative and illuminating text discusses the origins of avian collective nouns and shows a deep insight into the habits and character of the birds featured concluding with comprehensive lists of avian collective nouns both real and imagined some of which date back to the fifteenth century. These charmingly poetic collective nouns transport us back to the rich language of bygone times and take us on an alphabetical journey from ‘Abandonment of Cuckoos’, through ‘Gaggle of Geese’, ‘Tiding of Magpies’ to ‘Zephyr of Long-tailed Titmice’.

The thirty-one full page wood engravings of quite extraordinary detail thrillingly capture the very essence of the birds and the text is further enriched throughout with the use of a further thirty exquisite wood engraved decorations.

Sir David Attenborough in his foreword gives a fascinating and authoritative account of wood engraving from his lifelong interest in the medium, writing:

‘Colin See-Paynton has introduced yet another vision to the rich tradition of wood engraving. His delight in the lines of a bird so elegantly inscribed by the cut of his graver, his skill in varying texture even though he only has black and white with which to do so, his palpable pleasure in composing his subjects into joyous designs have brought something new to the portrayal of birds.’

David Alston, Arts Director, Arts Council of Wales writes:

‘An Admiration…that should be the collective noun for Colin See-Paynton’s Of a Feather, for this has been an extraordinary enterprise. Not since Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) have both literary and pictorial aspects been found conjoined in the one talent as in this project, where Colin See-Paynton has both written about and made the plates for an illustrated lexicon of the collective nouns for birds.’

750 numbered copies of this book ‘Of a Feather’ have been published by Stingwern Books, only seven hundred copies are for sale. The binding is in full red buckram with silk head and tail bands and with gold blocking to the spine and front board, the whole housed in a contrasting buckram covered slipcase.

The printing of all the wood engravings was overseen by Colin See-Paynton and carried out by Northend Creative Print Solutions of Sheffield using Regency Klassica 150 gsm paper chosen for its colour, texture, and opacity, and most importantly for its perfect suitability in the fine printing of wood engravings. The typeface used throughout is Palatino Linotype.

Each copy is numbered and signed by the author.

Publication date: May 2010

Hardback: 13¼ x 9½, 140 pages with 31 full page plates more than 60 wood engravings in total