Katrina and woodpecker

British artist and anatomist Katrina van Grouw is the modern-day heir to Audubon and George Stubbs, both of whom turned depictions of internal anatomy into fine art. Last year, I had the privilege of reviewing her remarkable book, The Unfeathered Bird, a compelling look at the muscles and bones that enable birds to work their magic. I really, really liked the book, and I was hardly alone in my praise. Katrina's drawings were breathtakingly good, and her writing was both illuminating and, often enough, funny. So when I had a chance to host her on a recent research trip and, happily, to prevail on her to deliver a program at our local library on the genesis of the book, well, I was just beside myself with glee. Katrina proved to be a lot of fun to have around, and her presentation was just terrific: illuminating and, more often than not, hilarious. She's passionate about birds and art and, in the best sense of the word, a true British eccentric. That's high praise, by the way. High, high praise.