Artist Katherine Rodger will be displaying some of her paintings of British wild birds in the upstairs gallery at Bowlees Visitor Centre during April.

At the beginning of the first UK lockdown, Katherine began posting a new bird painting every Friday on social media, adding the hashtag #fridaybirdie. After a full year of painting a bird a week, Katherine kept on painting birds and continues to combine her passion for painting with a love of birds.

The #fridaybirdie paintings have been reproduced as cards, Giclee prints and homeware and are soon to be published in the ornithologist Michael Turner’s new book, ‘A history of birds in the Derwent Valley’.

Katherine has worked for over 30 years as an Artist/Designer, Secondary School Art teacher, Artist-in-Residence and Painting Tutor, both in the UK and in New Zealand.

Based in Rowlands Gill, Katherine takes inspiration from the natural world, particularly from the wild birds in her garden. Her studio is situated in the Stableblock at National Trust Gibside where she now focuses mainly on producing detailed paintings of birds, set in colourful abstract backgrounds.

Open during Visitor Centre opening hours (daily 10am to 5pm). Not wheelchair accessible.

@karo_paintings