Birds

(click on thumbnail to see larger print)

Flowers and birds are the most popular subjects presented by both artist and photographers.  They are colorful, abundant and marketable.  They fill a room with interest and entertain one’s senses.  I cannot imagine an instance where a fine art print of either a bird or flower would not fit into one’s decor.  With this in mind, let’s consider the prints shown here:

How often does one find a breeding pair of Bald Eagles posing for their photograph?  I never have!  This print was created from a photograph my wife, Glenda, took through a glass door from inside my house.  Some people have all the “luck!”  (Glenda is, in her own right, an accomplished wet paint artist and she has promised to put the camera down so as to save our marriage.).  None-the-less, this is a remarkable image of two magnificent, rare birds.

This next print is of an immature Black-crowned Night-Heron, which was also captured through the same glass door as the two Bald Eagles.  Let it be known that I do go out into the “wilds” to get images but I can be an opportunist when the occasion presents itself.  This is a beautiful bird with its scarlet eyes and yellow face.

The hummingbirds are here for the summer only and arrive and depart like clockwork.  I have many images of this bird in flight with their bright ruby throats and seemingly  transparent wings (I’m starting to see sea oats and sand dunes).  I wanted to catch the frantic competition these tiny animals display.  They zoom about claiming any food source as their own, often sacrificing the opportunity to sip the nectar so as to chase off their rival uttering scolding chipping notes.  You can almost hear their busy interactions emanating from this print.

Three of these prints (”Turkey Vultures,” “Red-shouldered Hawk,” and the “Red-tailed Hawk”) are images captured as the birds perched on the ancient old dead oak in fromt of my home.  And yes, I think a turkey vulture can be as interesting as one of these lovely hawks.

The “Brown-headed Cowbird” and “Mourning Dove” are matching prints that will fit well in many small rooms.

The Reddish Egret is an uncommon bird even at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge where these birds were photographed … no! that is not correct.  This is actually not a grouping of four egrets feeding in shallow water.  It is four images of the same bird integrated into the composition you see here.  I was captivated by the playful antics displayed by this bird as it chased the minnows.  I had never witnessed the jumping, flapping, running (almost dancing), acrobatic movements this bird displayed as he fed.  It was a great discovery.  You can see a minnow leaping from the water in an effort to escape being dinner.

“White Heron Back Water” is another composite image of a single bird.  It depicts a very common, quiet activity often observed in the Low Country.  In this case – a pond in Pleasant Point Plantation.