Harla Bisbey

Photography, Painting & Digital Art

Harla, a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, grew up between Sedro-Woolley and Monroe, Washington, riding horses, exploring forests and bathing in rivers. Harla found inspiration for her art when she received an advanced digital camera as a gift. The camera allowed her to closely observe and appreciate the beauty of the previously overlooked birds populating her lush backyard. The exquisite and delicate details she discovered and the antics of these new-found friends claimed her heart. It inspired Harla to connect more directly by taking up drawing, hoping that the act of creation would enrich her relationship with greater authenticity and mindfulness.

In her work, she emphasizes hyper-realistic physical details, while incorporating other elements to reveal each bird’s unique spirit and personality. Harla uses a variety of media, including pencils, acrylics and digital tools; her signature style emerged when she started combining her flair for photorealistic renderings with a personal vision for whimsical imagery, iconography and classical compositional elements.

A detailed illustration of a bird with yellow, black, and gray feathers perched on a moss-covered branch, with two dragonflies flying nearby against a dark background.

Warbler & Mayfly • Print

Two small birds perched among pear-filled branches with dark background.

Wrens & Lemons • Print

A bird hanging upside down from a tree branch, surrounded by insects and insects flying around, with a dark, blurred background.

Bohemian Waxwing • Print

A detailed illustration of a woodpecker perched on green fern leaves with a golden halo behind its head, against a black background.

Downy Woodpecker, Fern & Bow Print

A digitally illustrated turkey with a glowing halo behind its head, surrounded by purple flower buds on branches, against a black background.

Vulture • Print

A bird with black, white, and brown feathers perched on green leaves, with a golden halo-like decoration behind its head against a black background.

Spotted Towhee with Eucalyptus Print

An artistic depiction of a woodpecker, with a freelancer’s head and body, holding a small insect in its beak. The bird is surrounded by a circular floral arrangement and has a halo-like golden radiance behind its head, against a dark background.

Pileated Woodpecker and Jailbug Print

A detailed illustration of a quail perched on a thistle plant with purple flowers against a black background.

California Quail with Milk Thistle Print

A bird with a halo-like golden radiance behind its head, perched on a branch with pine needles, against a dark background.

Swainson’s Thrush • Print