Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Ray Ching has lived in the UK for many years, where he has established himself as one of the worlds foremost wildlife artists. His early reputation, built on the realistic paintings of New Zealand birds, quickly spread to England, where he was commissioned to prepare 250 illustrations for The Readers Digest Book of British Birds. The book was published in 1969 and went on to become the best-selling ornithological field guide ever. Since then Ching has exhibited in many countries and the numerous books of his works have become collectors items in their own right. Along with his better-known paintings of birds and other wildlife, his portraits are also highly acclaimed and are in private collections around the world. Chings latest book, Aesops Outback Fables, is a limited edition book published by ARTIS Gallery, relating to the animals and birds of Australia. It is the perfect complement to the major exhibition of the same name, currently on at ARTIS Gallery in Parnell. Many of Aesops fables, with their simple stories and wry humour, have seeped into the very fabric of our language and from New Zealand it has been just a short hop across the Tasman to recast the stories in Australia. Ching captures in exquisite detail the spirit and simplicity of Aesops moral messages, supported by his handwritten interpretations.