The Bird Man

"The Bird Man" - mixed media on cradled wood panel, 12" x 24" x 1.75".  Ready to hang. Available here and at Artfinder.

The studio kids are running amok once more.  This time the birds are flying flocking flapping all around and leaving little poops all over the art supplies.  Thank goodness the bird man appeared to engage their interest while I cleaned up behind them!

This piece began as a life drawing.  The scheduled model was quite late one evening, so the facilitator, a sweet older guy, got up onto the platform and became our stand-in model for part of the session.  In this pose, he was actually holding a long bamboo pole (a prop often used by the models).  But something about his stoop, bent knees and hanging head demanded a very different setting.  

Once you've grabbed the perfect one minute gesture on paper, it is quite challenging to recreate it in all its perfectness.  This week's experiment was in making the original sketch a piece of collage adhered to the wood panel, and jumping off into the composition from there.  The wood surface is ideal for this application, as a brayer and some matte medium will give a smooth result.

The Bird Man

Here in the PNW, spring has rocketed into view.  I didn't know we even had neighbors during the dark, drizzly months when Pongo dragged us out for walks.  We had the streets almost all to ourselves. But this weekend, every yard was being carefully tended, planted, weeded, trimmed and readied for the season.  Here, where front yards are not grass, but are vegetable gardens, certified natural habitats and art installations, it is a bit exciting to see who is doing what and where.

While I have dreams of a two story metal welded dragon climbing the side our our house (hey hubs, if you are reading this, hint hint), I will settle (for now) for this little bell dragon on our fence post.  He was a recent find at a vintage store, and reminds me of the larger versions we saw in Italy last summer.  What do you think - will he frighten away prowlers?

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