Eilean Tait and the Sentinel

Eilean Tait



The Sentinel

Eilean writes about The Sentinel:

"Feathers and birds have surrounded me all my life. As a very young child I was struck by the iridescent brilliance of the feathers covering the cool body of a Lapwing found nestled in the wild Scottish heather. In such awe, though I knew that time would take its eventual toll, I carefully buried the beautiful bird,
wrapped in clear plastic at the bottom of my garden, so the beauty would still show through!

The largest of all falcon species, the Gyrfalcon breeds on the Arctic coasts and islands of North America, Europe and Asia. In medieval times it was considered the king’s bird with no lesser than the highest aristocracy carrying this prized hunter on their forearm.

The Sentinel, struck as a stoic Gyrfalcon, was created in pastel during a challenging time of metamorphosis. This solitary, powerful bird assumed responsibility to stand guard, declaring safe passage, through the ominous and stormy weather that threatened.

As world ambassadors, birds remind us of our connections to the rest of the planet (Carl Jung’s theory of the “Collective Consciousness”) along with our responsibilities to it."


Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland and having spent twenty-nine years in Montreal, Eilean now makes her home in Marmora, Ontario. She has worked as a free-lance artist and illustrator since 1984.

Spending countless hours in the Scottish countryside as a child, Eilean was always keenly aware of her innate kinship with nature and encouraged by her architect father, began drawing at an early age. Her passions for Nature, Music, History and Literature are ongoing and in 1976 she won first prize for Biological Illustration at McGill University in Montreal. Her works have been displayed in various judged exhibitions and hang in private collections in Canada and the UK. Eilean has also designed logos for The Nichoir Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Hudson, Quebec and for a Canadian Pharmaceutical Research Company’s international marketing campaign in South Korea.

Drawing inspiration from the environment, works of literature and music along with those around her, Eilean’s main focus is on the amazing creatures with which we are privileged to share our world. Her preferred style is realistic with a leaning toward the fantastic and working mostly in pastel, pencil and pen & ink, Eilean’s aim is to heighten our appreciation and understanding of the importance and interconnection of all living things

Please click here to visit Eilean's website.