Realistic Bird Paintings by Self-Taught Artist Camille Engel

“Patient Observer” Barn Owl perched on a window won 2018 Best Wildlife, International Guild of Realism

Camille Engel is a contemporary realist oil painter who did not start painting until she was in her forties.

“I was at church and our pastor said, ‘If you have a dream burning inside of you, and you have had it burning for a while, it could be a dream God put inside of you,’ ” she says. “I had always wanted to be an artist. And when I heard that, I decided I would take up painting. So I called Cheekwood and said, I’m old. I don’t have time to mess around. Who’s your best teacher?” via

She paints animals, landscapes, marine life but birds have been the recurring theme in her work. It was not until 2006, she began to paint birds including owls, cardinals, titmice, house wrens, chickadees, and hummingbirds. They are painted with utmost care and love, each intricate stroke of brush makes the subject of her work real. The artist has successfully captured the movements and personalities of her feathered friends in her work, making sure the end result looks real. 

Her paintings are have won numerous awards and have been exhibited at museums and galleries all around the nation. Camille Engel paintings are in the private collections at The Tennessee State Museum, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Baptist Hospital in Nashville, The Chattanoogan Hotel, Northeast Georgia Medical Center, GA, Middle Tennessee Medical Center, TN and Metro Nashville Government. She has been named as “Artist to Watch” by Southwest Art magazine 2014 and Fine Art Connoisseur magazine 2010. 

You can view more of her work and find available paintings as well as reproductions in her web store.