Among the Bamboo
A Bird that Inspires
Working out in the garden or sitting on the porch, I listen for a very soft 'see-ee' sound. It sounds like a sawmill operating in the distance and is a high-pitched 'see-ee', I've trained myself to listen for because the bird that makes it is my favorite. Not only are they cute, but they also symbolize the importance of friendship, social connections, and community support. I'm not sure when I first noticed them. They are a tiny (4.5" long competing with the 3.5" to 4" hummingbirds of this area). They have a brownish cap and face, whereas their bodies are a pale gray. I think they're sweet and fluffy.
Being Nosey...
When my partner, Andy, and I arrived in the Pacific Northwest, we noticed there are a few fenced in yards that are bird sanctuaries chuck full of bird feeders. We'd rubberneck, hoping to see and learn about the birds that are not living in the Northeast where we lived most of our lives.
As we settled into our own place four years ago, we added our own bird feeding stations. Suet is a favorite for the woodpecker family, but I soon learned to watch for the flock of bushtits that swirl around each other as they arrive to enjoy a snack that doesn't buzz about and must be hunted in crevices of tree bark. Our suet hangs off the garage next to a line of Leland Cypress trees that stretch along the driveway and are a complement to the 150-foot-tall Douglas Fir that stand along the property line. The bushtits take advantage of the safety of the Leland Cypress flying back and forth, from the feeder to the trees and back again. As it is with the feral cat, Harvey, who also lives here, the bushtits do not lallygag by sitting in one place for long, they peck and break off pieces of suet and move. This way they protect themselves from predators. And as quickly as the family of about 20 birds have their meal, they fly into the Douglas Fir where I lose sight of them. And so, when they do arrive, I stop what I'm doing and watch them and listen to them and enjoy their acrobatics.
We have another suet feeder among the bamboo on a different side of the house. This bamboo is growing in large pots that we planted in front of Andy's office window. He always wanted to grow bamboo, which does very well in our area. Knowing that bamboo can take over and be a pest to contain, we were careful in how we planted them to keep their roots inside the pots. Watching those birds come to the suet among the bamboo through the window is where the inspiration of this mixed media painting came from. It is always lovely when something from life is the story behind the painting. In this case the love of bushtits and bamboo by Andy and I.
The Mixed Media Layers
I began with pasting down soft beige ephemera papers on the wood panel substrate. Then I added a light yellowish glaze. This was followed by making collage papers with different greens on the gelli plate. Those collage papers were the fodder for the leaves of the bamboo. I cut them and pasted them down with Liquitex matt medium in an abstract form of the plant. It was time consuming and I lost myself in the process. One of the amazing parts of the process of making mixed media, is meditating on subject being created. Bamboo symbolizes resilience, flexibility, humility and good fortune, amazing principles to meditate upon. Then came out the acrylic paints to paint the suet feeder and the birds. I took some liberties with the colors of my bushtits. Depending on how light hits them, their age and sex, what time of year it is, their feathers cast different colors which I took advantage of. Finally, using a Stabilo All pencil I added shading and a soft pastel of black around the edges of the finished different colors. And here it is.
My oldest sister told me she would have a hard time letting go of a painting that holds such meaning. I feel differently because having a painting like this one languish against the wall of the studio breaks my heart. Yes, it is imbued with the love of the birds and plants that does stay within it. I do not have enough walls to hold all the paintings I do and so, yes, I will sell this painting and feel good that someone decided it was something they too connect with.
With a Grateful Heart,
Claudia E. Heyer