iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I had an absolutely marvellous time at @globalbirdfair.bsky.social last weekend. It was my first time in the prestigious art tent and what an honour to be among such a talented line up. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, it was a pleasure to spend three days talking about birds! #birding 🪶

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Wallcreeper: Tichodroma muraria, meaning in Ancient Greek “which runs on walls”. I have to say, this might be one of my favourite pieces I’ve drawn in a long time! Wallcreeper in coloured pencil on watercolour paper. #birding

My coloured pencil drawing of a wallcreeper created on watercolour paper

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Trying to get back into the habit of posting my art regularly- so here’s a bullfinch from a while back. It’s been a pleasure to see quite a few of these little fellas cheering up an otherwise very bleak winter! ❤️ 🪶 #birds

My coloured pencil drawing of a bullfinch next to my initial warm up sketch

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Pallas’s warblers are the best warbler and you can’t change my mind! #birding 🪶

Coloured pencil drawing of a Pallas’s warbler on a wooden slice

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Here’s the finished Siberian Thrush drawing. Bringing it to life on paper was a great way to relieve the memories of a really special bird! Coloured pencil on paper. Reference photo Jake K. #birding 🪶

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Final Siberian Thrush drawing update before the original artwork and prints go live tomorrow! Without a doubt my bird of 2025 🥂 #birding 🪶

My coloured pencil drawing of a Siberian Thrush. Reference photo from Jake K

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Adding in the best part of the Siberian Thrush today - those under-tail stripes 😍 Coloured pencil on paper Reference: Jake K #birding 🪶

Drawing of a Siberian Thrush in coloured pencil

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Made a little bit of progress this morning on my Siberian Thrush drawing whilst the light was still good. My blue pencils haven’t been put to work for a while!! Reference photo: Jake K #birding 🪶

My coloured pencil drawing of a Siberian Thrush, discovered earlier this autumn in Shetland at the Loch of Asta.

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

I’ve been thinking about starting this drawing since I was stood in my welly boots in the Loch of Asta! Thankfully, the Siberian Thrush showed well in the subsequent few days. Thank you to Jake K for the reference pic! #birding 🪶

My coloured pencil drawing of the Shetland, Loch of Asta, Siberian Thrush. Reference photo from Jake K.

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Grey Partridge in the snow! Inspired by a wintery survey season on Yorkshire farmland (although sadly none of them showed quite this well!) Coloured pencil on watercolour paper Reference: Cameron Sharp #birding 🪶

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

As summer draws to a close, one fascinating bird, the Arctic Tern, is preparing to start an epic journey of over 14,000 miles toward the south polar region. “In search of the never setting sun” Coloured pencil on watercolour paper #birding 🪶

My drawing of an Arctic tern, created with coloured pencil

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

The textures on my grey partridge drawing are starting to take shape! Sadly I haven’t seen a grey partridge since I was last in Yorkshire some time in the winter. Do you see grey partridges in your area? Let me know! Reference photo with kind permission from Cameron Sharp #birding 🪶

My drawing of a grey partridge. Reference photo from Cameron Sharp

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Latest drawing is underway! Grey Partridges are one of my favourite birds to see on my farmland surveys so it seemed only right to get them on paper! Reference kindly provided by Cameron Sharp #birding 🪶

My coloured pencil drawing of a grey partridge

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

It’s been ages since I last drew a bird of prey - if hypothetically I was going to draw one soon… what would you like to see? I loved creating this drawing of male Merlin as part of the @btobirds.bsky.social book “Into the Red” 📕 back in 2022. Reference photo: Michael Sanders #birding 🪶

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Of all the pieces I’ve drawn over the last 5 years, this one is probably closest to my heart. 🪶 Turtle Doves are struggling - in fact they are the UK’s fastest declining species. In the UK we have lost 98% of our turtle doves since 1967 🧵 #birding

My coloured pencil drawing of two turtle doves. Reference photo from Richard Baines

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

It's been 3 years since the Turkestan Shrike was discovered at Bempton Cliffs (and my first twitch!) This was a fantastic bird to witness and it showed beautifully I couldn't resist capturing the moment on paper once I was home. #birding Ref: @birdphotos007.bsky.social

My drawing of the Bempton Cliffs Turkestan Shrike. Reference David Carr

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

It’s looking like I might not manage my annual summer trip to RSPB Bempton Cliffs to see the seabirds but I’m very much enjoying all the content from people who have visited! Here’s my puffin drawing from a few years ago now 🐟 #birding 🪶 Reference photo: Luke Brady Johnson

My drawing of an Atlantic puffin holiday fish

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I was out early on a dawn bird survey yesterday and the hares were a wonderful highlight as usual! It’s been a few years since I last drew a hare (one of my few no bird pieces) but I’m hoping I can change that soon 🐰 Coloured pencil on watercolour pencil Reference from Frances Crickmore

My drawing of a hare, titled talking to the moon, reference with very kind permission from Frances Crickmore

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

The best thing about this time of year? Nightjarring of course. The hot weather over the weekend meant we were treated to amazing dusk views of churring males, wing claps, and females feeding right over our heads! ✏️ Coloured Pencil on watercolour paper #birding 🪶 #sciart

My coloured pencil drawing of a Nightjar. Reference photo with kind permission from Ian Cole

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Southern Red Bishops - a delightful commission to kick off a very busy summer of art. Created with coloured pencil #birding #sciart 🪶

Drawing of a southern red bishop reference kindly provided by Paul Mason. Sold

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Reposted by Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver)

West Midlands Ringing Group @westmidlandsrg.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

Nightjars are truly remarkable birds. Ground-nesting and masters of camouflage, they rely on their incredible natural patterns to protect their eggs and chicks from predators. This stunning moment, captured by one of our team members on a NatureSpy cam, shows a female blending Nightjar blending in

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

I’ve been a bit quiet on here recently as I’ve had lots of private illustration work and surveys and I felt like I didn’t have much worth sharing - but I figured I have a lot of bits in the archive I haven’t shared in years!! So here’s a female stonechat drawn in coloured pencil! #birding 🪶

A female stonechat drawn in coloured pencil. Reference photo with kind permission from Paul Bennett

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

It’s been a pleasure bringing this iconic duo of Southern Red Bishop birds to life! Coloured pencil on watercolour paper #birds 🪶 #sciart

Two side by side coloured pencil drawings of male southern red bishop birds

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

It’s busy season with bird surveying and ecology but there’s always a little time for drawing between the early starts - Here’s my progress on a Southern Red Bishop! #birding 🪶 #sciart

My coloured pencil drawing of a Southern Red Bishop bird (original sold)

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

The cuckoos on Cannock Chase have been putting on quite the show recently! 😁 Sadly not quite in the same league as Colin (as I’ve drawn below) but a treat none the less! #birds 🪶

My coloured pencil drawing of a cuckoo - reference kindly provided by Steve Wilson

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Last month I got to spend a week experiencing the magic of spring bird migration in Cyprus! 🇨🇾 So naturally, now I’m drawing all my favourite species from the trip. Here’s ✅ 1: Blue-Cheeked Bee Eater @birdlifecyprus.bsky.social #cyprusbirding 🪶

My digital drawing of a blue-cheeked bee eater

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Big thank you to everyone who came along last Saturday to visit my stand at the @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social open day! It was so lovely to chat to so many fellow bird fans #birding 🪶

My stand set up at the west midland bird club open day including my banner, print rack, table with greetings cards, and my framed originals

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Mini puffin prints are here and I love them!!! 🥹 Counting down the days until the puffins are back for the summer!! #birding 🪶 #SciArt

My digital drawing of a puffin in a black and white linocut style wrapped in cello bag and ready to post!

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

I cannot explain how happy I was to finally see my first ever Long-Eared owl today 😭 an absolute beauty! #birding #ukbirding 🪶

My photograph of a long-eared owl, taken through my scope from inside bird hide to minimise disturbance

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of puffins to our shores this spring 🫶🏻🌱🐟 At the moment, they’ll be far out in the Atlantic sea, with their wintering range stretching from Greenland, to New York, down to the Canary Islands! #birding 🪶 🖊️ drawn in procreate

My interpretation of a linocut (if I had the materials to create one!) of an Atlantic puffin on waves - roughly based on my own reference photo taken at Bempton Cliffs

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Yesterday was #WorldWetlandsDay a category of birds I haven’t managed to draw many of (yet!) but this avocet piece was inspired by Saturday’s visit to the Exe river 😄 #birding 🪶

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Although my heart will always belong to my coloured pencils - trying out different styles on the iPad whilst I’m away from my desk is proving to be a lot of fun 😌 Here’s a turnstone (with stones!) #birding 🪶

A black and white linocut-style drawing of a ruddy turnstone

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Least Sandpiper still showing (11:03 am) from Quantok hides, WWT Steart #Ukbirding

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Over on IG, @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social is running #BirdArtWeek2025 - really loved the idea of Moonlit Migrators so had a go at combining one of my coloured pencil drawings with some digital illustration! #birds 🪶

A drawing of a nightjar at night in front of the moon - original nightjar reference photo from Ian Cole

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Good Saturday birding in Staines and surrounding area. 1+ Water Pipit and Dartford Warbler on Staines Moor. Popped up to Denham for the Red-Necked Grebe. Finished off at Staines Res with close views of (one of) the GND and 7 Black-Necked Grebes. #UKbirding

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Preparing the Nightjar prints (A3 and A4) to go off to their new homes! Thank you to everyone who’s ordered one so far - I absolutely love this piece 😄 #birds 🪶

Prints of a drawing of a nightjar in 2 different sizes. Reference photo from Ian Robert Cole

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

I wish I was in Texel looking at the Spectacled Eider today - what a cracking bird and one of my all my time favourites - would love to see them in the wild one day 🤩 Here are some of my sketches from a little while ago! #birding 🪶

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Back home from a few days of surveying! Scenes like this always make the early start worth it 😄 Great to see Yellowhammer, Bullfinches, and plenty of winter thrushes flocks! #SouthYorks #Birding

Sunrise over a snowy field and stone wall in South Yorkshire

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

My favourite drawing to date - absolutely chuffed with how this piece turned out 😄 Nightjars are my favourite bird and I’m delighted I could do it justice! Thank you Ian Cole for the lovely reference photo! #birds 🪶

A coloured pencil drawing of a nightjar on a log

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Very excited that my solo art exhibition “The Birds of Cannock Chase and Beyond” opens tomorrow at the Museum of Cannock Chase! 😄 #Birds 🪶

A photo of a gallery room with framed pictutes of birds

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

And the nightjar drawing continues - this is a piece I cannot bring myself to put down so brace yourself for a lot of updates over the next few days!! #birding #Sciart 🪶 Reference photo: Ian Robert Cole

A coloured pencil drawing of a nightjars head

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Have to confess it’s been a while since I was this excited to draw something! Nightjars are my absolute favourite bird and the cryptic plumage is proving to be a delightful challenge #birds #sciart 🪶 Reference: Ian Robert Cole

A work in progress coloured pencil drawing of an Eurasian Nightjar. Reference from Ian Robert Cole

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Unexpected birding gold (quite literally) on Xmas Eve when news broke of a Yellow Warbler in Kent! One of my best birds of 2024 for sure! #UKbirding #Birds 🪶

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Reposted by Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver)

Lauren @tinylongwing.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Whoops I didn't almost forget #ArtAdventCalendar I promise! Day 22, another snowy scene for @instbirdpop.bsky.social in a previous year, here's a pair of Pine Grosbeaks doing what they're known for, chewing on conifers. 🎨🐡🪶 #birdart

A pair of Pine Grosbeaks forage in the sunlit tops of snow-covered conifers. The male, above, is mostly red, while the female, below, is muted yellow and gray.

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

I’m so grateful to have been so busy this festive season creating ornaments and packing orders 🥹 Not many left to go now - this little Blue Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker will be off to their new homes shortly! #birds #ArtAdventCalendar

Wooden slices with coloured pencil drawings on (one blue tit and one great spotted woodpecker)

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Thank you so much to everyone who has bought one of my 2025 calendars so far! 🥰 I have 7 left so if you’d like one now’s the chance! #birds 🪶 Sharing for #ArtAdventCalendar as it’s created from my own drawings!

A ring bound calendar with a Blackburnian Warbler on the front cover and a Long-Tailed Tit for March

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

This Purple Finch is here to gently remind my lovely US friends that last order for anticipated Christmas delivery is tonight! #ArtAdventCalendar Day 13 #birds 🪶

A coloured pencil drawing of a purple finch. Reference photo kindly provided by Linda Petersen

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

One raptor that’s always a delight to see - the tiny Merlin! 🤩 I was lucky to see not one, but two sat on the drift wood at Spurn Beach during Migfest and it was a highlight! #Birds 🪶

A coloured pencil drawing of a Merlin. Reference photo from Michael Sanders

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Ruth’s Portraits (Ruth Weaver) @ruths-portraits.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Day 11 of #ArtAdventCalender A lot of my ornaments are gifts so I can’t share them yet - but this one I do have permission to share! A Striped Owl 🦉 native to southern and Central America! #Birds #ColouredPencil

A wood slice with a drawing of a Striped Owl’s face on it. Created with coloured pencil

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