I found Duncan’s artwork when searching online for images of coral tree flowers. Duncan’s beautiful watercolour paintings caught my attention, and I had the privilege of meeting Duncan and his wife Tracey at their home in Hermanus in February 2021. Their home was an oasis of warmth, filled with people, animals and books. Duncan’s modesty belied his many achievements, including an Honorary Doctorate awarded by the University of the Witwatersrand in 2013 for his expertise in conservation. Tragically, just a few months later, Duncan died after a short battle with cancer.
At his memorial, Duncan’s daughter, Julia Lily, said that she often struggled to explain to people what her dad ‘did for a living”. He was many things – a conservationist, a writer, an illustrator, an artist and a photographer. He will be missed by many, but his legacy lives on through his art, books and vintage travel posters. For those who knew Duncan well, his memory drifts into those timeless moments when a feathered creature captures your full attention. Perhaps it’s the birdsong drifting through an open window, breaking the white noise of the city’s hum. Or perhaps it’s a bird perched on the windowsill, leaning into the wind. It looks at you, pauses, and flies away. You snap out of it; back to work.
We’ve included a selection of Duncan’s artworks below, which some clients may recognise from the cover page of their annual reviews.
To find out more about Duncan, and to see his other artworks, visit www.dbnatureworks.com. Duncan created a beautiful range of vintage-style travel posters which are are still available for purchase on his website, now under the care of Julia Lily Butchart. For birding enthusiasts, be sure to read Duncan’s blog, starting with this entry which includes the original sunbird and erythrina painting that led me to Duncan: Scarlet Splendour.
