My World is a World of Bird Art

Gambel's Quail 3-3-09 by Kathiesbirds

MY World is a world of chance encounters. It’s a world where anything can happen and frequently does. By chance Gus and I stopped by Civano Nursery Saturday to look at trees and buy some plants. By chance I found out about an Artisan’s Fair they are having this coming weekend and in a bold and foolish move, I signed up to be a vendor! I have never done anything like this before, and I have hardly any paintings, but I decided to take the chance!

Gilded Flicker 6-22-08 by Kathiesbirds

My World is a world of birds that come to my feeders and wander my yard looking for seed after a Sunday night rain. In my world of birds I see color and life and patterns, patterns that translate to pictures and pictures waiting to become art. How can I tell you how the birds make me feel, how they make me smile even when I am in pain from the dentist, or concerned about the economy? After Sunday night’s rain the Gambel’s Quail wander the block wall searching for food and I smile. When the Gilded Flickers come and hang from my feeders with their large beaks and heart shaped wings I see the shapes and patterns and I see beauty and art.

Colors and Patterns by Kathiesbirds

In My World of birds and patterns I have turned my kitchen into an art studio, for it is the only place I have to paint. So paint brushes and canvases lay side by side with fruit bowls and coffee pots while colors whirl in my head with the Doubts and Questions: Am I good enough, am I good enough, will anyone buy my art? Can I create enough in a week?

Kitchen Art Studio 3-3-09

I must be crazy to try this, but, what the heck; life is all a risk anyhow. Every day the birds risk their lives to live. Who knows when the hawk will drop from above? But, in the meantime I will fly like the lark into the sky and sing my sprit song of feathers and colors and patterns. Feathered Joy. Flicker Love. Vermillion Flycatcher Sky. Fractured Blue.

It’s all a swirl of colors, patterns and life.

Vermillion Flycatcher Sky and Flicker Love by Kathiesbirds

So, I’m off to the craft store today for more canvases and paints. My stomach is all a flutter with anticipation and desire. If you don’t hear from me all week, it’s because I’m listening to the bird song in my head and out my door and I’m covered in paint.

Kitchen table/art studio 3-3-09

Stop by Civano Nursery on Houghton Rd in Tucson this Saturday and Sunday March 14th and 15th from 9 to 4 if you want to say Hi. I’ll have Bird Art for sale along with what’s left of the Prickly Pear Jelly I made last summer. I even had business cards made up from the photograph below.

Thanks Carla at Gaslight Printers!



Bird Tribes Art by Kathiesbirds

Well, it's Too Darned Hot! (but the birds are still here)

With temperatures reaching 104 by 9:30 a.m. MST I am not venturing too far from home these days. The summer heat for me is what winter cold was like living in the north. It is the time of year to stay home, do indoor projects, or curl up in the air conditioning and watch a movie. The birds are drinking water faster than I can fill the dishes, but still they come for seed and peanuts. I have discovered that they are occasionally salad feeders and my verbena and petunias have fallen victim to their foraging. One day I had flowers, then next day stubble! On Friday night around 6:30 p.m. a flock of house finches flew into the yard and started grazing on this weed I allowed to grow beneath my newly planted Palo Verde tree. I figured the leaves would help shade the roots and keep the tree a tiny bit cooler. I had no idea I was providing a salad bar! The shadow from the house had fallen across the tree and the little house finches are perfectly camouflaged beneath it. Look closely and see how many you can find.

Photo taken 6-13-08 by Kathiesbirds

Another well camouflaged bird in Sycamore Canyon is the Canyon Towhee. Canyon towhees are one of the scruffiest non-descript birds I have ever seen. When I saw my first one here last year I thought it was a cross between a House Finch and a Curved-billed Thrasher. It wasn’t until I looked it up that I learned what it really was. On Saturday morning Gus and I took a walk in the canyon and this bird flew out from the bank and landed on a rock in the middle of the wash in front of us. Can you see it?

Photo taken by Gus 6-14-08 around 7:30 a.m. MST

We stood frozen and watched as it proceeded to walk the rest of the way across the gravel canyon bottom. Its bedraggled appearance coupled with its dirt-colored feathers provides perfect camouflage as it crosses this wide expanse. It must have walked at least 15 feet pausing every few steps to look around before continuing onward. Whenever it stood still, it looked like a stone. Once it reached the opposite bank, it disappeared into the brush.

Canyon Towhee Photo taken by Gus 6-14-08 Cropped and enlarged.

On Saturday as the sun was setting in the west, these two flickers and a Gambel’s Quail came for their evening meal. In the golden light of the setting sun, they lined up like a perfect birdie totem pole, so I grabbed the camera and snapped away!

Photo by Kathiesbirds 6-14-08

We have our own bird tribe here in Sycamore Canyon!

Gambel's Quail Tribal Mask 8x10 Acrylic on Canvas Copyright 2008 by Kathiesbirds