In temperate climates, the birds are a’flutter singing their elaborate songs. This new addition to the catalog, “Proud Mockingbird” is one such singer, puffed up towards the sun. The piece is a composite of course, to juxtapose nature and technology, or different kinds of intelligence. Of course, humans are part of nature and the ongoing biomimicry is highlighted here. What’s also highlighted is the adaptation and ingenuity of birds. After all, they can fly, and with built in GPS at that. This is a conceptual, mythological portrayal of the subject, with the merging of a tree branch with power lines, and overlapping geometry that creates a pyramid, and the turning page at the corner. The proud mockingbird alights on either, as power lines become obsolete.
Let’s see some more bird portraits because they’re delightful:
I think it’s important to remember that evolution is ongoing, and affects all beings. These adorable portraits are a fun reminder of animal intelligence, different from ours, that has been evolving for far longer – that’s why they’re so in tune with Planet Earth.
The above sampling of bird portraits feature the Sanderling, Great Egret, Wild Turkey and Red Tailed Hawk. There are certainly more!
The Sanderling is a fast-running/skittering international bird, common to shores across the globe. Although small, they can feed themselves a mere 12 hours after being born and have been known to migrate up to 10,000 miles.
The genus of elegant Great Egret has been around for 7 million years. In light of this, it should hardly be surprising that I saw one wait for a crosswalk signal to cross the street in Florida. The egret in the portrait above was talking a walk on Virginia Key, and probably foraging, near a surf shop.
Wild Turkey is a suitably bold graphic portrait for this bird, strutting around in the urban environment, which is a reminder that the land is theirs too. The city becomes their urban wild. Despite a not exactly aerodynamic profile, an amazing fact about wild turkeys is that they can fly up to speeds of 55 miles per hour.
Like “Proud Mockingbird,” the Red Tailed hawk in “Ka” inhabits a composite or collaged scene. In this case, I combined the portrait of my neighbor “Fluffles” with a beautiful sky photo, and a compelling natural object I photographed years ago – a burned piece of wood that looks like a Triskelion. There’s a lot of symbolism here. “Ka” is the ancient Egyptian word or concept of soul or life force.
These portraits and more are available direct here through the site’s Art Shop, and also on Saatchi Art and TurningArt. If don’t you see a size or format on the current menu that you want, reach out by e-mail: Sarah.ikerd@studio-shangri-la.com.