Brushes with Nature is a book of natural history illustration by Gamini Ratnavira, combining his own text with his paintings of the island's wildlife. It sits at the intersection of art and field observation, the kind of volume that rewards both a quick browse and a slow read.
Ratnavira's work is built on close looking. His illustrations render birds, animals and landscapes with the patience of someone who has spent long hours watching before ever putting brush to paper, and the accompanying text gives context and voice to what the paintings show. The credit on the cover, alongside Ratnavira's, ties the book to Sri Lanka's wider circle of nature writers and illustrators.
As a physical object it is a book meant to be kept and returned to, suited to a shelf alongside other natural history and art titles rather than read once and set aside. It carries the imprint of Vijitha Yapa, a name familiar to anyone who has bought books on Sri Lanka.
For anyone drawn to wildlife art, birdwatching, or the visual record of a particular landscape, this is a title that works equally well as a personal keepsake or as a gift for someone with a standing interest in natural history.
