It's For the Birds
"I would like to paint the way a bird sings."
~ Claude Monet
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
~ Maya Angelou
Birds have been singing to me lately it seems. I keep getting drawn to paint more of them. It all started with this little guy ("Eastern Bluebird") that I shared last time.
He was so much fun to paint, he inspired me (along with a nudge from a great collector - thanks Ginger!) So, I created the custom arrangement of even more bluebirds in "The Suitors". Bluebirds are monogamous so I thought it would be fun to show a gathering of males vying to be "the one" for a pretty little female.
Note: "The Suitors" will be heading to a show in Union, SC in mid-September. Fingers crossed that it does well! You can see all my upcoming shows on my website.
Then, we took a trip to Kenya for a wildlife safari. We had an amazing trip and saw sooooo many amazing animals. The stunning number and array of beautifully colorful birds really captured me too though. The trip has already inspired a few paintings of some of my favorites. I'm sure there will be more Africa paintings to come!
Africa has the most dramatic birds! This is a "Superb Starling". We saw so very many of these beautiful iridescent birds, especially at the Sweetwater Camp at Ol Pejeta in Nanyuki.
A sweet little African Bird. This is a "Little Bee Eater". This was one of the smaller birds we saw on our trip. This is a very common bee-eater and a familiar and conspicuous bird in much of Kenya.
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly colored, slender bird. It reaches a length of only about six inches, which makes it the smallest African bee-eater. Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. Before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. Smart, huh?
What's your favorite bird? I'd love to hear it.
You're the first to see these new pieces and I'm thrilled to share them with you. I'll be pushing them out on my social media channels over the coming days so you may see them again there.
That’s it for now. Time for more painting! You can see these paintings and more on my website. I’ve got several more new pieces and commissions in the queue and I will share them with you soon.
As always, I am deeply grateful for your support of my art journey!
Until next time,
Barbara
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