Making life size Bald Eagle sculpture by Hamish Mackie

Making Life Size Bald Eagle Sculpture 2023 March 10, 2024

I have always wanted to sculpt a bald eagle, so I was delighted when I was commissioned by the internationally renowned interior designer Nina Campbell to make one of these magnificent raptors for a project in North America.

The bald eagle is one of the world’s largest birds of prey. Its Latin name is “Haliaeetus leucocephalus” which translated means “white-headed sea eagle”, a reference to its genus and to its white head feathers.

Native to North America, the bald eagle is found in North America, Canada, Alaska and Mexico. Often referred to as the American bald eagle, it is the national bird of the USA, chosen as a symbol of that country’s fortitude and freedom. It is also sacred to many Native American cultures.

The bald eagle is an impressive bird in so many ways. In general, they mate for life unless one of them dies, and they often return to the same nest year after year. Their mating rituals include a spectacular manoeuvre known as the’cartwheeling’, where the pair lock talons high in the sky before spinning and spiralling rapidly downwards towards the ground. Their eyesight is eight times more powerful than a human’s and they have an incredible wingspan of up to 7.5 feet. This allows the bald eagle to soar for long periods of time without flapping its wings.

I had been lucky enough to observe bald eagles on a previous research trip to Canada. Because this sculpture was site-specific, I also visited the client’s property in North America and watched these birds in the wild again there. The sculpture was to be mounted on a boulder, in view of the estuary where the property is situated. It is a commanding spot, and I knew my bald eagle sculpture had to reflect both the majesty of the bird and the situation. I decided to sculpt the bird banking in flight.

I was able to study bald eagles in more detail at the Cotswold Falconry Centre at Batsford in Gloucestershire. They were hugely helpful in letting me watch them in flight and also get up close to take photographs and measurements.

This sculpture took 6 weeks to sculpt, including making the armature which involved laser-cutting each of the primary wing feathers. The photograph below by Russell Sachs of me sculpting the eagle was printed in The Telegraph in August 2023.

I think it is one of my most dynamic sculptures to date and I can’t wait to go back out to North America and see it installed in its position on site.

This sculpture will be exhibited for the first time on my new stand (Stand PW251) at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024, so if you are there, do drop by and see it.

It is available as a life size sculpture in bronze, or a scaled down version in bronze or a scaled down version in silver.

Newsletter Sign Up

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

I would like to receive printed catalogues by post

Address 1 *

Address 2 *

City/County *

ZIP/Post Code *

Country *

I consent to be contacted. For more information on how we protect your data and rights, please view our Privacy Policy.