Arthur Singer, one of America’s best known bird painters, was born in 1917 in New York City. His fascination with wildlife began early, with regular visits to the Bronx Zoo. By his mid-teens, Singer had already created a substantial body of early work, compositions drawn from first-hand observations of big game animals and birds at the zoo. His interest in wildlife art led him directly to the work of Audubon and Fuertes as well as a vision of what he later hoped to accomplish. After a formal art education at the Cooper Union and 4 years of service in the war, he settled into family life and a job as an art director, while pursuing his dream of being a wildlife artist. After the set of prints State Birds comissioned for the American Home Magazine had achieved enormous success, Singer was offered several contracts to illustrate books on birds. The year was 1958 and Singer became a full-time bird painter.