Various books

Els ratpenats de Catalunya
The bats of Catalonia
Brau Edicions, 2012

This up-to-date field guide, profusely illustrated with photographs and drawings, was written by the biologists Carles Flaquer and Xavier Puig. I worked actively on the illustrations of the different species  – morphology, details of skulls and teeth, and identification keys – and their habitats, and also participated in the conception of the guide and its design and layout. We hope that this guide will be the first of a series that will contribute to make biodiversity more accessible and attractive to the wider public.

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Espiadimonis, nàiades, sabaters i cuques de capsa
Dragonflies, freshwater mussels, pond skaters and caddis flies
Eumo Editorial, 2010

This work, edited by Marc Ordeix and Jesús Ortiz, is a highly accurate and attractive description of the fascinating world of aquatic insects, their biodiversity and their value as bioindicators of the health of our rivers and lakes. Besides the photographs and drawings, my work on this guide included the illustration of almost 100 species of singular groups such as the caddis flies (Trichoptera), whose larvae make characteristic protective cases out of stones from the riverbed. Top

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Ocells de Catalunya, País Valencià i Illes Balears
Birds of Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands
Lynx Edicions, 2010

This very complete field guide was written by the ornithologist Joan Estrada. Although I am credited as an illustrator to the same extent as Francesc Jutglar, he drew most of the illustrations for this publication and I only contributed illustrations of 50 or so species. It is an excellent guide, both well conceived and well executed. Top

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Natura al teu jardí
Nature in your garden
Brau Edicions, 2008

This book is very visual and was the first in Catalan and Spanish to promote wildlife gardening in a Mediterranean context. Published with support from Oryx, the naturalist’s shop par excellence, the texts were written by the biologist Albert Ruhí, the photographs taken by Jordi Bas and the design and layout undertaken by Lluc Julià. Aside from illustrating the whole book, I also participated actively in its design. Top

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Paisatges Vius- Catàleg de Projectes
Living landscapes – A Catalogue of Projects
Obra Social Caixa de Catalunya, 2006

One of the most complex and absorbing commissions that I have ever undertaken was to participate in the coordination and organization of the content, writing and artistic direction of Living Landscapes, a catalogue of all the projects financed by the FTP (Territori i Paisatge Foundation) of La Caixa Catalunya in the period 1996–2006. It too was converted into an exhibition held at La Pedrera in Barcelona. Despite the size of the graphic content of the catalogue, I ended up doing more editing than illustrating. The organization and coordination of more than 1,000 projects was not easy and would not have been possible without the contributions of Laia Botey and Marga Viza, the photographs of Jordi Bas and the graphic design by Lluc Julià. Likewise, without the energy and endless enthusiasm of Jordi Sargatal, the director and heart of the Territori i Paisatge Foundation, this catalogue would not have seen the light of day. The catalogue is evidence of the capacity of our society in those years to act to help safeguard our environment and the natural values it contains. Top

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Catalans de pèl i ploma – Races autòctones de Catalunya
Feathered and pelted Catalans – the breeds of Catalan domestic and farm animals
Lynx Edicions, 2005

This is the first book to systematically describe all the races of farm and domestic animals – from pigeons to donkeys, poultry to cattle – known to be autochthonous to Catalonia. The task of illustrating this book was very complicated since, unlike wild animals, domestic breeds are often defined by experts on the basis of very subtle criteria, which can be difficult to reproduce precisely in an illustration. The texts were written by Amadeu Francesc Vidal and Pere Miquel Parés. Top

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Atles dels Ocells Nidificants de Catalunya
Breeding Bird Atlas of Catalonia
Lynx Edicions, 2005

The task of illustrating all the birds that breed in Catalonia (240 species) for the Breeding Bird Atlas of Catalonia was at the time (2001–2003) the most important work as an illustrator I had yet undertaken. I was able to complete the work thanks to the great productivity that my digital tools allow me. This atlas was the result of the work of 500 voluntary ornithologists coordinated by the ICO (Catalan Ornithological Institute) and, lauded by critics the world over as one of the best bird atlases to date, demonstrates the maturity of ornithological research in Catalonia. Top

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Arte de Pájaros – Pablo Neruda
Art of Birds by Pablo Neruda
Lynx Edicions, 2002

This book of poems reveals a little-known facet of the Chilean writer Pablo Neruda – that of a passionate lover of birds. Three artists – Aldo Chiappe, Jorge Rodríguez Mata and myself – created the illustrations that depict various species of bird described in Neruda’s poems.  Top

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Boscos vells – Artists for Nature al Pirineu
Old forests – Artists for Nature in the Pyrenees
Lynx Edicions, 2002

This agreeable book/catalogue contains work by some of the world’s best-known wildlife artists, who were brought together in the Pyrenees by Artists for Nature Foundation in the spring and summer of 2001. The gathering (to which I was invited) took place in the Art and Nature Centre in Farrera under the auspices of the Territori i Paisatge Foundation and generated numerous works of art that highlight the natural values of the old forests of the Pyrenees. An exhibition was held in La Pedrera in Barcelona of these works of art, many of which are include in this book (including a few modest efforts by my good self). Top

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Guia d’itineraris del Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà
Guide to the itineraries in the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park
Brau Edicions, 2002

I wrote this pocket guide in collaboration with my childhood friend and biologist, Ponç Feliu. It includes 10 routes through the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park (where both Ponç and I cut our teeth as naturalists and ornithologists), many of which were still relatively unknown when this guide was published. It contains numerous illustrations of the plants and animals that accompany the text and illustrate the points on the itineraries where visitors are most likely to observe the species in question. In addition, it includes a series of plates depicting some of the groups of species that are most characteristic of this protected area. Top

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Handbook of the Birds of the World
Lynx Edicions, 1992-2013

This series is the definitive encyclopaedia of all the world’s birds, an ornithological magnum opus published in Barcelona by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal. I illustrated two plates (1999) of the Caprimulgidae family (Nightjars) for the fifth volume. From the third volume onwards I have also designed the back cover of all the volumes, closely following the original design of the collection: a black-and-white drawing of a number of the species included in the volume and their habitats, with a setting sun as a background. Top

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Terra de gantes
La història dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà segons la cigonya Guita
Land of Storks
A history of the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà according to the stork Guita
Lynx Edicions, 1996

This singular book was written by a group of people who love the marshes (aiguamolls) of the Empordà region – Josep Espigulé, Rosa Llinàs, Deli Saavedra, Jordi Sargatal and myself. It tells the story of this natural area through the experiences of a very particular stork, Guita, who was adopted by the natural park at the beginning of its stork reintroduction programme and who has become a symbol of its concept of ‘environmental seduction’. Lavishly illustrated, the book contains over a hundred very heterogeneous paintings in acrylic and watercolours that I completed in just a few months of hectic activity under the watchful eyes of the authors. The book won the Serra d’Or prize for children’s literature. Top

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Guia de fauna vertebrada del Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró
Guide to the vertebrates of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park
Lynx Edicions, 1994

This pocket guide depicts all the species of mammals, birds, herptiles and fish found in this natural park, with texts written by Jordi Garcia-Petit, biologist and then part of the park’s technical staff. The plates for this guide (the amphibians and reptiles were illustrated by Albert Alemany) were my first-ever serious commission – at the tender age of 16 and still with a lot to learn! Top