Art Imitates Life

I love birds. I've had parakeets, a cockatoo and a love bird. I almost got a bird a few years back while visiting a friend with birds. I thought it would be a great little companion in my studio, him cheering me on while I try to paint a masterpiece. We would have our favorite songs that we would sing together. Then this cute little bird fluffed himself up and shook. The sun streaming through the window showed every bit of tiny dust and downy feathers bursting into the air. Hmmmmm, wet paint and feathers floating on the invisible air patterns of my studio. NOT a good combination.

This is one of my favorite paintings, it's titled "Cleared for Landing". I created it several years ago and it found a home right away. Painting birds in flight is fun. When you get the fluid feel of the feathers and that sense of motion you feel successful!

We have a chickadee family living in a bird house outside our dining room. Every dinner we eat and visit and watch the chickadee family grow. The one parent, I am guessing the mother, looks a little ragged as she flies back and forth with little green worms. You can hear the chick cheep their little heads off whenever one of the adults shows up with more food.

To me there is no question that life around me inspires my work. Watching these tiny birds makes me want to pick up my brush and create something awesome. Something that a person will see and think, wow, those are amazing, little birds.