After an acclaimed stint delving into heritage crafts in The Prince’s Master Crafters, artist, comedian and musician Jim Moir will return to Sky Arts next year to front a brand new series which will see him grab his paintbrushes, don his binoculars and set out across the UK to share one of his greatest passions: watching and painting birds.

A new comedic ornithological series, Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir (6x60) will follow prolific artist Jim and his wife Nancy as they explore some of Britain’s best beauty spots, joined along the way by a few famous friends. Their challenge? Create an original piece of bird art celebrating the unique species native to that region over the course of a weekend.

Accompanied in each episode by local twitchers, artists and conservation experts, Jim, and Nancy will be guided through forest and fen as they venture through wild countryside and local bird sanctuaries to gather inspiration. They’ll spend meditative weekends sketching and painting their feathery subjects, tackling everything from grouse to goshawks and bitterns to bearded tits.

Jim Moir, artist, comedian and bird-painting extraordinaire commented: “I am very excited to be a part of Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir. It incorporates my two main passions, art and birds, and to be presenting it with my best friend and wife (one person) is an undiluted joy and delight.”

Nancy Moir commented: “I’m thrilled to be part of Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir. I’ve been birdwatching for the past ten years and it’s become a huge passion of mine so I’m looking forward to starting filming with Jim.”

Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, commented: “Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir is just the kind of tweet we like at Sky Arts, combining the joy of great art courtesy of Jim’s beautiful bird paintings and the glories of the British countryside and wildlife. We know our audiences love to uncover the processes that bring art to life and Jim will be unpacking the craft in his own unique way.”

Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir (w/t) was commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Barbara Lee. The series goes into production in September 2022.

The series is produced by Drum Studios, part of Omnicom Media Group, headed by Andy Holland. Danny Carvalho and Sadia Butt are the executive producers. The series goes into production September 2022.

Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir will air on Sky Arts, Freeview and NOW in 2023.