John Audubon is arguably the greatest American naturalist artist who ever lived. (Page 17 of Source #4) He was intrigued by the natural world and at the same time appreciated the feeling of elegance that painting brought him. Although he was not the first artist to attempt to paint and depict all of America's birds, "he was the young country's dominant wildlife artist for more than half a century." Audubon used his artistic talents to depict American birds in their natural habitat. His knowledge of birds, the environment and artistic practices made his work extremely different from others. Through his art, he demonstrates an intense affection for birds using a scientific and objective approach. His passion for exploring the beauty of birds and the nature that surrounds them led him to create paintings that are well known today. The natural world and scenes of everyday life are common themes depicted in all of his works.Audubon was born on April 26, 1785 in the French colony of Saint-Domingue. (today Haiti). JJA was the son of the intelligent Jean Audubon, a French naval officer, sea captain and sugar plantation owner. (Source #4 p. 17) His mother was a French maid from the village of Mazures who died about six months after his birth. It was when JJA was in middle school that he began skipping classes to walk in nature and pursue his passion of painting what he saw. With his father's advice and help, JJA began drawing "feathered tribes". His father pointed out to the birds “the elegant movements as well as the beauty and softness of their plumage” (page 18 of source no. 4). In 1803, his father sent him to America to visit his family's property at Mill Grove in Philadelphia. It was then that JJA immediately f...... middle of paper...... the devotion of his vision with inscriptions and layers of media worked with great variety, from masterfully broad strokes to exquisite details . They reveal his working process and how he arrived at his groundbreaking compositions, which, for the first time in world history, depict life-size birds and their different lifestyles. Audubon embodies the spirit of young America and was a person of memorable strength and endurance as well as a determined observer of birds and nature. He was also concerned about the conservation of the birds he studied and was an advocate for protection against the destruction of birds and their habitats. John James Audubon died on January 27, 1851 in New York due to poor health. It is only fitting that we carry his name and legacy today, as many of his beliefs remain important today and into the future..