Anne Smerdon is an award-winning Australian artist focused on the complex but often-overlooked minds and personalities of animals, particularly birds. With an extensive knowledge of bird psychology and body language, Anne uses her work to educate others on how we can better meet the needs of our wild and captive birds. She works closely with wildlife rescuers and bird carers to tell the individual stores of birds that have come into care with physical or neurological disorders, commonly due to human causes.

• 2024 finalist in the Wollumbin Art Award

• 2023 finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize

• 2022 finalist in the Wollumbin Art Awards

• 2022 winner of The Doyles Still Life Award

• 2021 winner of The Doyles Still Life Award

• 2013 Trinity College Emerging Artist Award

• 2013 Winner of the Element Eden Global Artist Search (Fine Art Category)

• 6x finalist in the Border Art Prize

Anne’s work has been featured in:

Here’s a glimpse of how each bird painting is created:

Anne works with live birds, both domesticated and wild. She gently draws each bird out with her vast knowledge of bird body language and behaviour (she’s written 2 books on birds and owns two very famous pet parrots herself). She may spend many hours with each bird, patiently waiting for it to become at ease in her presence. She then takes her sketches and photographs and completes each painting in her studio.