I used (with permission) one painting by John James Audubon to compare to Marian Berger's work, as she is indeed often compared to him, and is considered the "Audubon of Hawaiian Birds." She might disagree, but after collecting over one hundred pieces of her work, originals, lithographs, Giclees, block prints, and even sketches, I would say the same: much of her work is very reminiscent of Audubon's work, especially her series of thrity-three prints of the Living Endemic Birds of Hawaii. All the more so, since Marian's LEBH series was originally printed as a double-elephant-sized portfolio.
I am the proud owner of a two-volume series titled: The Original Water-Color Paintings by John James Audubon for The Birds of America. The books were printed in 1966 by the American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc. of New York. The two-volume set is still available second-hand, from Amazon.com. My copies show their age, but are otherwise like new; a similar set can be purchased for about $100 as of 2011. The two pictures on this page come from the set (and from Wikipedia.com). The information comes from various website sources, including Wikipedia.com and Audubon.org.
It has always amazed me that John James Audubon (nee Jean-Jacques Audubon) painted so many of his birds from dead specimens, usually ones he shot himself. But his actions were a sign of his times, times when digital photography and long lenses did not exist: Audubon lived from 1785 to 1851 (he died in his family home in New York).
Audubon's seminal Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints, quickly eclipsed everyone else's work and is still a standard against which 20th and 21st century bird artists, such as Roger Tory Peterson and David Sibley, are measured.
Audubon’s story is one of triumph over adversity; his accomplishment is destined for the ages. He encapsulates the spirit of young America, when the wilderness was limitless and beguiling. He was a person of legendary strength and endurance as well as a keen observer of birds and nature. Like his peers, he was an avid hunter, and he also had a deep appreciation and concern for conservation; in his later writings he sounded the alarm about destruction of birds and habitats. It is fitting that today we carry his name and legacy into the future.
All of Audubon's prints in the Birds of America folio are available on the web, as is his complete biography (various sources). His name lives on in many Audubon Societies, Parks, etc. In fact, like most birders, I am a member of an Audubon Society.