Jill Adams (artist)
Encyclopedia
Jill Adams is a South African artist who has specialised in natural history
illustrations. She was born in Durban in 1932, but lived for part of her life in Kimberley, where, on the staff of the McGregor Museum
, she worked in close association with leading biologist, Dr. Richard Liversidge. Adams lives in Somerset West.
in Kimberley
. During this period she published her illustrated Flowering Plants of the Northern Cape (1976)
She subsequently achieved public renown for her paintings of Aloes
.
making their book, The birds around us: birds of the Southern African region (1990). Liversidge points out in a note "To the reader" that "this is certainly the first book on Southern African birds which has attempted to illustrate all the more common species in flight. Often a bird in flight is all that you will see." This work resulted in new observations being made with respect the Hoopoe
where male and female have different flight patterns, with indications that a reclassification might need to be made for Hoopoes into "more than their present number of species."
The illustrations produced for The birds around us have been described as "the product of her outstanding draughtsmanship, coupled with a keen sense of observation and knowledge of the "natural pose" of birds." In order to keep the collection in the Northern Cape, the original paintings were purchased by the Gant family and donated to the McGregor Museum in 1991.
Earlier, in 1983, Adams was commissioned by Heritage Porcelain to contribute to a series of six plates in a Collectors' edition, Best loved birds of Southern Africa to mark the centenary of the birth of Austin Roberts, South African ornithologist (1883–1948). The series includes here Cape Robin,Cossyphya caffra.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
illustrations. She was born in Durban in 1932, but lived for part of her life in Kimberley, where, on the staff of the McGregor Museum
McGregor Museum
The McGregor Museum in Kimberley, South Africa, originally known as the Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum, is a province-aided museum established in 1907.- Overview :...
, she worked in close association with leading biologist, Dr. Richard Liversidge. Adams lives in Somerset West.
Flowering Plants
Adams worked from 1974 to 1983 in the art department at the McGregor MuseumMcGregor Museum
The McGregor Museum in Kimberley, South Africa, originally known as the Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum, is a province-aided museum established in 1907.- Overview :...
in Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
. During this period she published her illustrated Flowering Plants of the Northern Cape (1976)
She subsequently achieved public renown for her paintings of Aloes
Aloes
Aloe may refer:*Aloe, a genus of succulent plants, which includes several species:**Aloe arborescens**Aloe aristata**Aloe camperi**Aloe dichotoma**Aloe ngobitensis**Aloe vera**Aloe wildii*Aloe Ridge Game Reserve, in Gauteng, South Africa...
.
The birds around us
Jill Adams subsequently collaborated with ornithologist Richard LiversidgeRichard Liversidge
Richard Liversidge, naturalist, ornithologist and museum director, was born on 17 September 1926 in Blantyre, Nyasaland , and died on 15 September 2003 in Kimberley, South Africa.-Early career:...
making their book, The birds around us: birds of the Southern African region (1990). Liversidge points out in a note "To the reader" that "this is certainly the first book on Southern African birds which has attempted to illustrate all the more common species in flight. Often a bird in flight is all that you will see." This work resulted in new observations being made with respect the Hoopoe
Hoopoe
The Hoopoe is a colourful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes...
where male and female have different flight patterns, with indications that a reclassification might need to be made for Hoopoes into "more than their present number of species."
The illustrations produced for The birds around us have been described as "the product of her outstanding draughtsmanship, coupled with a keen sense of observation and knowledge of the "natural pose" of birds." In order to keep the collection in the Northern Cape, the original paintings were purchased by the Gant family and donated to the McGregor Museum in 1991.
Earlier, in 1983, Adams was commissioned by Heritage Porcelain to contribute to a series of six plates in a Collectors' edition, Best loved birds of Southern Africa to mark the centenary of the birth of Austin Roberts, South African ornithologist (1883–1948). The series includes here Cape Robin,Cossyphya caffra.