What a wonderful article! Montrose Bird Sanctuary is my favorite place in the world. We enjoyed your films and love your newsletter. And we love sparrows too, they are such an interesting tribe.
As a teen he would nurse injured hawks back to health as I witnessed walking home with him to see his latest patient…@one point caddying for a woman golfer with one on his shoulder as she recalled ‘ My caddy cloths& my clubs were covered in bird droppings!’ Now that’s an unapologetic ‘Bird Man’ The last time we met was@ his studio, he doing wine bottle labor designs & a collage.Some music band wanted him to create an album cover but didn’t want to pay his standard pricing, So he tells me that they hired an Artist in Chicago that mimic his work for not much of a fee. As I asked what should she be doing as an artist He said ‘Adding something new to what she’s seen in my work& everyone else’s Art she’s ever viewed that would be creative’ Tony would have appreciated your honest vouce in this article…as do I
This is delightful and excellent, Bob. Thank you so much for sharing these stories!
I always appreciate the way your writing comes across with this kind of refined edge. Like, it's clear and direct and reasonable and cogent and considered, and it's also not without its flourishes and artfulness and a bold rebellious/counter-cultural/anti-authoritarian streak. Somehow your writing about Tony makes this especially apparent. After reading this piece, it's really easy to see you and Tony as two sides of the same coin.
I'm a big House Sparrow guy, too, and it's inspiring to know we're in that club with Tony. He seemed like a guy whose many clubs one would always want to be in. And if you ever found yourself on opposite sides, you'd probably want to question yourself.
What a wonderful article! Montrose Bird Sanctuary is my favorite place in the world. We enjoyed your films and love your newsletter. And we love sparrows too, they are such an interesting tribe.
As a teen he would nurse injured hawks back to health as I witnessed walking home with him to see his latest patient…@one point caddying for a woman golfer with one on his shoulder as she recalled ‘ My caddy cloths& my clubs were covered in bird droppings!’ Now that’s an unapologetic ‘Bird Man’ The last time we met was@ his studio, he doing wine bottle labor designs & a collage.Some music band wanted him to create an album cover but didn’t want to pay his standard pricing, So he tells me that they hired an Artist in Chicago that mimic his work for not much of a fee. As I asked what should she be doing as an artist He said ‘Adding something new to what she’s seen in my work& everyone else’s Art she’s ever viewed that would be creative’ Tony would have appreciated your honest vouce in this article…as do I
I really appreciate your perspective--thank you. Tony had a lot of imitators, for better or worse.
This is delightful and excellent, Bob. Thank you so much for sharing these stories!
I always appreciate the way your writing comes across with this kind of refined edge. Like, it's clear and direct and reasonable and cogent and considered, and it's also not without its flourishes and artfulness and a bold rebellious/counter-cultural/anti-authoritarian streak. Somehow your writing about Tony makes this especially apparent. After reading this piece, it's really easy to see you and Tony as two sides of the same coin.
I'm a big House Sparrow guy, too, and it's inspiring to know we're in that club with Tony. He seemed like a guy whose many clubs one would always want to be in. And if you ever found yourself on opposite sides, you'd probably want to question yourself.
Nice tribute. Love his work—a true Chicago original!
great column! I only knew him from afar but he was definitely an original and added a dimension to our largely nerdy community of birders.
Nice one.
I did not know of him. And I have just found and ordered one of his books. Thank you for this essay.
Thank yoi, Bob, for honoring Tony today. He was one of a kind.