Blair Waterfield’s ‘Birds of a Feather’ Print
Blair Waterfield came to printmaking through a 2001 scholarship to the National Art School in Sydney — one of Australia's most selective fine art programs. He moved to Tasmania in 2006 to study at the University of Tasmania's School of Art, completing his Bachelor of Fine Art in 2008 and his Masters in Printmaking in 2010 at the Tasmanian School of Creative Arts. Since graduating he has built a sustained exhibition practice across solo and group shows, and established himself as one of Tasmania's most distinctive contemporary printmakers.
His work draws on the physical intimacy of the printmaking process — the pressure of plate against paper, the layering of ink, the marks that only this medium produces — while arriving at compositions that feel warm, immediate, and rooted in the natural world. Three of his works hang at The Royale: 'Destination', 'Birds of a Feather', and 'The Flower Pot Man' — together forming the largest single-location concentration of his work in any accommodation in Tasmania.
About 'Birds of a Feather'
Artwork: Birds of a Feather Artist: Blair Waterfield Medium: Printmaking Displayed at:The Royale, Hobart CBD
'Birds of a Feather' brings the natural world directly into The Royale's interior. The title references the familiar idiom — birds of a feather flock together — but what Waterfield does with that reference is characteristically his own. The work carries the quiet attentiveness to the natural world that runs through his practice: an observation rendered with the precision and patience that printmaking demands, and the warmth that makes his work liveable rather than just impressive.
In the context of The Royale's broader collection, 'Birds of a Feather' sits between the arrival feeling of 'Destination' and the playful quietness of 'The Flower Pot Man' — the natural world piece in a three-work sequence that covers arrival, nature, and humour across the same space. The three works do not match each other so much as they complete each other.
Experience 'Birds of a Feather' During Your Stay
'Birds of a Feather' hangs at The Royale — a 125 sqm dual-level luxury apartment in Hobart CBD, 450 metres from Constitution Dock and Salamanca Place. Staying at The Royale gives you all three Waterfield works alongside 'Breaking Bread' by Pat Brassington and the paired works 'Rule XII' and 'Rule XIII' by Brigita Ozolins — the most significant art collection across all four Island Collective properties.
Want to explore the full collection before booking? The District in Hobart CBD displays original works by Louise De Weger. The Tempo and The Helm in Sandy Bay carry original Tasmanian paintings by Stacey Rees and Mindy Doré. Browse every artwork across the collection on The Artists page, or contact the team with any questions before you book.