Work of local artist featured in TWEPI’s 2026 birding guide

Cameron Arksey’s work is featured in the 2026 Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island birding guide.  Special to the RTT

An Amherstburg artist has his work featured on the cover and inside the latest Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) birding guide.

Cameron Arksey is featured in the guide, with a painting of a tufted titmouse, Windsor’s official bird, both on the cover and inside the booklet. His work depicting a golden-winged warbler, Point Pelee National Park’s “Bird of the Year,” and a black-capped chickadee, another popular bird in the region are inside.

Arksey said he reached out to TWEPI last fall about doing artwork for the birding guide. As he has started to enjoy bird-watching in recent years, he wanted to bring two of his passions together. He finds bird-watching peaceful and relaxing and “I wanted to create work around it.” 

As he pays more attention to the world that surrounds him, Arksey said he notices things he never noticed before and that a person can “lose yourself” when bird-watching. 

TWEPI was interested when Arksey reached out.

“They were excited about the idea,” said Arksey. “It’s great. I was fortunate to get this opportunity.”

Arksey worked with TWEPI about what to go into the birding guide, which is available at TWEPI-run tourism locations, including the tourist booth on Front Road North in Amherstburg.

An osprey nest inspired Arksey to start creating work about birds and he created a painting of an osprey in August 2025. He creates a colour background with acrylic paint and brush strokes, followed by using a pencil and ink drawing of a bird in the foreground. Digital software also helps “mosaic it all together.”

Arksey added there have been further discussions with TWEPI about him doing more work in the future, something he hopes occurs. In the meantime, he will continue as part of the Local Collective Art Project.

“I’m excited to keep working with the collective to do more pieces,” he said, noting that the group is having a bird-themed show at The Missing O bar/restaurant on Murray St. starting Oct. 24.

Arksey is also planning on being part of a show the collective is working on for the Amherstburg Uncommon Festival in September. 

For more information on Arksey, visit www.cameronarksey.com. 

Work of local artist featured in TWEPI’s 2026 birding guide

By Ron Giofu