Australian Nature: From the Heart The Paintings of Sally Elmer & Peter Slater

As one of Australia’s finest wildlife artists, the late great Peter Slater needs no introduction to natural history enthusiasts. He has been publishing books celebrating the country’s wildlife for many decades, not least the renowned Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds. For Australian Nature from the Heart, Peter teamed up with the equally talented Sally Elmer to produce a remarkable collection of images covering all aspects of Australian natural history. Subjects include various species of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and much more, with these creatures often portrayed with backdrops of stunning Australian landscapes, from desert and bush to rainforest and wetlands. The accompanying text gives fascinating background information and insight into species both common and rare, which the authors have encountered on their extensive travels around Australia.

Sally worked for 15 years as an artist with the Qld Museum, and in 1995 decided to take the plunge and become a self-employed artist. From a studio in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, surrounded by the sights and sounds of what inspires her, she enjoys observing and researching our native wildlife, discovering a diversity of color, texture and character. Peter Slater (born 1932) is an Australian ornithologist, wildlife artist and photographer. Slater grew up in Western Australia and moved to North Queensland in 1966. He began photographing birds from an early age, has won numerous awards in international exhibitions, and was made an Artiste of the Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique in 1964. He has produced several natural history books and field guides, often in collaboration with his wife Pat or his son Raoul.

Foreword 7 Introduction 10 Painting the Background – Sally 12 Painting the Background – Peter 16 Eastern Grey Kangaroo 28 Red-necked Pademelon 30 Tasmanian Pademelon 33 Whip-tailed Wallaby 34 Tasmanian Emu 36 Southern Cassowary 37 Musk Lorikeet 38 Rainbow Lorikeet 39 Swift Parrot 40 Australian Ringneck 42 Elegant Parrot 42 Red-winged Parrot 43 Adelaide Rosella 44 Eastern Rosella 45 Crimson Rosella 46 Paradise Parrot 48 Golden-shouldered Parrot 48 Hooded Parrot 49 Paradise Parrot 50 Mulga Parrot 52 Eastern Ground Parrot 54 Western Ground Parrot 55 Night Parrot 56 Double-eyed Fig-Parrot 58 Coxen’s Fig-Parrot 59 Princess Parrot 62 Regent Parrot 64 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo 66 Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo 68 Galah 70 Laughing Kookaburra 72 Blue-winged Kookaburra 77 Yellow-billed Kingfisher 78 Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher 79 Red-backed Kingfisher 80 Rainbow Bee-eater 82 Southern Boobook 84 Eastern Barn Owl 86 Rufous Owl 87 White-throated Nightjar 88 Spotted Nightjar 89 Wedge-tailed Eagle 90 Black Falcon 94 White Goshawk 95 Peregrine Falcon 96 Australian Brush-turkey 98 Rock Dove 100 Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove 102 Crested Pigeon 106 Peaceful Dove 107 Partridge Pigeon 108 Squatter Pigeon 108 Spinifex Pigeon 109 Australian Pratincole 110 Inland Dotterel 111 Nullarbor Quail-thrush 112 Rufous Fieldwren 113 Eyrean Grasswren 114 Sandhill Grasswren 115 White-throated Grasswren 116 Black Grasswren 117 Variegated Fairy-wren 118 Superb Fairy-wren 120 Variegated Fairy-wren 121 Red-backed Fairy-wren 122 White-winged Fairy-wren 124 Lilac-crowned Fairy-wren 125 Pacific Robin 126 Scarlet Robin 127 Red-capped Robin 128 Flame Robin 129 Red-capped Robin 130 Rose Robin 132 Eastern Yellow Robin 134 Pale-yellow Robin 136 Fairy Gerygone 137 Olive-backed Sunbird 138 Lemon-breasted Boatbill 139 Crimson Chat 140 Yellow Chat 140 Orange Chat 141 Northern Shrike-tit 142 Western Whipbird 143 Diamond Firetail 144 Painted Finch 145 Red-browed Finch 146 Plum-headed Finch 146 Long-tailed Finch 147 Scarlet Honeyeater 148 White-browed Woodswallow 150 Paradise Riflebird 152 Willy Wagtail 154 Pied Butcherbird 155 Grey Butcherbird 156 Silver-backed Butcherbird 157 Welcome Swallow 158 Silver Gull 160 Australian Pelican 162 Herald Petrel 174 Soft-plumaged Petrel 175 Australasian Grebe 176 Black Swan 180 Pacific Black Duck 182 Australasian Shoveler 188 Plumed Whistling Duck 190 Australian Wood-Duck 191 Dusky Moorhen 192 Cattle Egret 196 Little Egret 197 Intermediate Egret 200 Eastern Great Egret 201 Yellow-billed Spoonbill 204 Royal Spoonbill 205 Straw-necked Ibis 206 Australian White Ibis 207 Jabiru 208 Green Tree-Frog 210 Red-eyed Tree-Frog 213 Carpet Python 214 Southern Angle-headed Dragon 216 Eastern Water Dragon 217 Blue-tailed Ctenotus 218 Kakadu Ctenotus 219 Richmond Birdwing 220 Caper White 222