Author, activist and artist Nick Hayes showcases beautiful illustrations for Animal Aid

To anyone who has seen Nick’s work, his linocut style is instantly recognisable, with beautiful emblematic depictions set against block capital lettering.

The series of three illustrations offer social commentary on some particularly unsavoury aspects of the shooting industry: the mass production of 60 million factory-farmed pheasants and partridges every year to be shot for ‘sport’; the negative environmental impacts of releasing millions of birds into the countryside, as well as of the lead shot that is used to kill them; and the environmental subsidies that are being claimed by shooting operations – which are ultimately funded by the taxpayer.

Nick’s new artwork will be appearing in publications, such as Bird Watching magazine, The Big Issue and Ethical Consumer, over the next few weeks, in order to draw attention to the plight of the millions of birds produced to be used as nothing more than feathered targets (the huge majority of shot birds do not go into the food chain).

The illustrations also highlight Animal Aid’s new petition, which calls for an end to the production and killing of birds by the shooting industry.

www.animalaid.org.uk/BirdPetition

You can download and share the illustrations, below.