Today, I want to talk about my Birds & Botanicals series which is an ongoing body of work celebrating the delicate majesty of wildflowers and small birds.
For these pieces, I chose a solid black background to make the vibrant colors of the flowers pop and used the simplicity of the background as contrast with all the lovely details of these gorgeous birds & plants.
Details you only get to experience if you pause long enough to notice them. That’s part of what makes small birds so delightful (besides how tiny and cute they are). In order to truly experience them, you have to stop and pay attention. And when you make a conscious decision to do that, you're choosing to be present in the moment… it’s pure bliss to watch a Wilson’s Warbler curiously looking around at a Maple Blossom before he hops onto the branch above. Or a Red Breasted Nuthatch flitting back and forth between trees, calling its distinct, nasal-y call that echoes through the forest.
Creating these paintings feels similar to watching these birds in action. Pure delight. I get to experience their unique personality as I bring them to life with my paintbrush, and I hope my love and appreciation for them shines through in the final piece.
I’m often asked how I choose what birds to pair with which flower. Primarily, I like to pair birds with wildflowers that might occur in the same habitats and seasons even though the actual pairing may include a little of my own artistic interpretation. :)