Birds, Birds, Birds

I felt inspired this month to practice some new techniques using birds as my subject. I've always loved birds (as long as they're outside), especially songbirds. I also drew some inspiration from the scriptures, Matthew 10:29,30 (KJV) and the song, "His Eye Is On the Sparrow." Lauryn Hill has a killer version of it, by the way, that's really worth listening to and having a copy. Enjoy!

 This is an 8"x 8" canvas board. It is a mixed media piece. Materials are acrylic paints, modeling paste, paper, gilder's paste, and Faber-Castell Gelatos (a water soluble pigment stick that is similar to an oil pastel). I've stenciled, stamped, painted and smudged...

 This is also a mixed media piece done on an
 8"x 8" canvas board. The material are the same as above, with one addition, a strip of crocheted lace.

This is a 9"x 12" studio canvas. Materials are the same as above with the addition of some glass glitter and micro beads.

Captured Faerie

    This poor little fairy is locked in a birdcage, but still has the tender heart to care for a tiny bird. It appears that she's fallen out of the peddler's cart and landed on the forest floor carpeted with autumn leaves. The cage is the alterable medium birdcage from Prima Marketing. She is set in a 12" x 12" gallery profile canvas from Blick Art Supplies that has been turned backwards and used with the canvas as the back and the frame as a shadowbox. The canvas has been lifted from the frame around the edges and distressed. The fairy is modeled from polymer clay, painted, and clothed in Sari silk and gauze.

She is surrounded by fallen leaves and an assortment of other items that have fallen to the ground around her, a spoon, a small bottle labeled as lavender, but is really filled with pixie dust, and a few other small objects. She has her little bird friends to keep her company until she is rescued--which will be soon, undoubtedly

I tapped some crystal head upholstery tacks around the outside edge of the frame just for a little added pizazz.



This idea was inspired by an altered birdcage done by Robbie Herring on "Live With Prima".