Saturday, April 25, 2009

Dead Little Bird on Earth Day

Sometimes it's more about the story than it is the painting and so........
I had no intention of doing an Earth Day Painting even though I was aware of it. Running to a meeting at the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble, I happened to glance down behind one of the pillars. There was a little dead bird, probably died looking for a nesting site in the neon sign above the door. Happily for birds, unhappily for the store maintence people they seem to like nesting in the "O" the best. She probably crashed into the storefront window and broke her neck. Not into bird forensics, this would be my best guess. I felt a little sad, such a perfect little thing, feathers still colorful even in death. I went into the bookstore and asked for a plastic bag. The clerk looked a little confused so I told him what it was for. "Of course I can find you a bag, but NOT a Barnes and Noble bag. So after rummaging around for a moment he came up with a plastic grocery bag. I went back outside and scooped up the bird. I went to the meeting, a brief conversation was had about the little find, one person really got why I picked her up in the first place. He asked me today if I had painted her yet, and better get to it before it gets maggots. Ok, here it is. A rather quick oil sketch, I placed the bird on the driveway near the ground cover which is in bloom with lavender color flowers, partially in sunlight. Back to the earth she goes, reduce, resuse, recycle.
6"X6" Oil on gallery wrapped stretched canvas

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