Nashville native and artist Liz Clayton Fuller graduated from Hillsboro High School and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design and her certificate in Natural Science Illustration from the University of Washington before returning to her hometown to pursue her passions as a naturalist and fine artist.
Her work, which she describes as “a reflection of classic naturalists with a more contemporary feel,” has garnered the attention of art collectors and bird enthusiasts worldwide. The talented Clayton Fuller also shares her gift with students, teaching online classes in natural illustration and field journaling for the Bird Academy at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.Recently the internationally-recognized natural science illustrator and accomplished fine artist’s black and white image of Lesser Yellowlegs was selected to spotlight the many wildlife species that merit conservational attention; the image is also featured on the back of the dollar-bill sized pane on the 2021-2022 U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s just-released Federal Duck Stamp, the most common format of the stamp with about 1.3 million sold. The annual stamp release supports the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund: of every dollar spent on a duck stamp, 98 cents of the purchase fund the acquisition and protection of waterfowl habitat. “I’m so honored to participate in the Duck Stamp program, says Clayton Fuller. “Birds are my passion, and this is a humbling appreciation of my work.” (lizclaytonfuller.com)
Fuller chatted with us about the career milestone, her life’s work, and why Nashville makes a great muse.
A Learned Love
I don’t buy into the idea that you are born with the ability to create beautiful art without any training. It isn’t a magical gift that you either have or you don’t. Art is a skill you have to work to cultivate, and with time, practice, and dedication, anyone can do it. However, I do believe that I was born with the desire to create with my own hands. Ever since I could hold a crayon, I’ve been making art. All through school I was drawing in the margins of my notes and thriving in art classes. It has been part of me for as long as I can remember.
Birds of a Feather
My family wasn’t particularly nature oriented when I was growing up. We always played outside, and I was fascinated by animals, but we weren’t hikers, campers, or birders. I came to my love of nature much later in my life and it happened through art. When I was in college, I picked up a book called Birds of the World and started painting. As I painted more and more, I started really noticing all the birds around me on my walks to class. Once I moved back to Nashville, I started painting my backyard birds, and my love of nature and birding continued to blossom. Now, I’ve got my whole family looking for birds with me, and I drive my friends a little bit crazy with fun bird facts. That said, I do think I’m winning many over to Team Bird Nerd slowly but surely.
For Ducks’ Sake
The coordinator of the Federal Duck Stamp program took one of my online bird drawing classes and was excited to see my connection to nature and conservation through art. She reached out to me about judging the Junior Duck Stamp National Competition and asked if I’d be interested in illustrating the companion species for the back of the Federal Duck Stamp. I was blown away and really honored. They highlight the companion species with black and white illustrations, so it was a new style of watercolor painting for me. I loved the challenge, and I’m so proud of how it turned out. Having my art tangibly impact conservation for birds is humbling. I’ve always hoped that my work would shine a light on birds and help people see them in a new light and encourage them to care more about wildlife. The Duck Stamp is a whole new level of impact, and I couldn’t be more delighted. I’m honored that a simple painting has the potential to have an effect on how people see nature. I hope I can keep finding ways to make an impact.
Music City as a Muse
Nashville is such a part of me that I can hardly separate myself from it enough to see objectively how it shaped me. I grew up and discovered art here, moved to Savannah for undergrad, then to Seattle for my post grad program, and then to Ithaca to work for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Finally settling back in Nashville feels like the beautiful homecoming I always knew it would be. My family is here, my roots are here. Nashville gave me my southern-ness, openness, and kindness. The people here have always encouraged my art. The flora and fauna are an endless source of diverse and interesting subjects. And every day I live for discovering more and more about the birds and their habitat here.