by Fulcrum Gallery Staff
10. August 2015 09:40
Bird art is well loved among art enthusiasts. Birds remind us of our connection to the natural world. Different artists use birds to convey different things. Some artists emphasize the colors in the birds’ feathers. Other artists use birds to convey the mood of a particular season during the year. Sometimes bird images are combined with uplifting or humorous messages to improve the viewer’s mood.
Beautiful Colors
One way that people often use to tell bird species apart from each other is by the colors of their plumage. Artists can use the colors of birds’ feathers as a focal point against a less colorful background or, if the bird is less brightly colored, show how the bird blends into its surroundings. Examples of the former can be seen in J. P. Prior’s “Jewel Plumes” series, which shows a male peacock against a light colored, heavily abstracted background. By contrast, Albrecht Durer’s “Little Owl” is much less flashy, depicting the muted brown, gray, and cream colors in the owl’s feathers. From a collector’s perspective, the variety of available colors provides a lot of options when choosing a piece to complement the decor of a room.
Showing The Seasons
Birds can also be used by artists to portray a particular season. One way to do this is simply to show the bird in a setting that is obviously associated with a particular season. John Rossini takes this approach in “Waiting for Spring,” which features two cardinals in a winter scene. This painting also serves as an interesting use of color, as the cardinals’ red feathers contrast with the more subdued whites and browns that compose much of the rest of the scene. Another way to portray a season is to show birds with seasonal flowers. “Blue Birds and Dogwood” by Elaine Vollherbst-Lane does not appear to indicate any particular season, but the presence implies a spring setting, since that is the time when dogwood flowers are at their peak.
Positive Messages
People are often fascinated with birds in part because of the flight capabilities of birds. This leads people to associate birds with air and the sky, which are associated with ambition and inspiration in many cultures. Sometimes artists will combine images of birds either in flight or perched above the ground with inspirational text. For example, Lori Deiter includes a spiritual poem next to an image of a bald eagle with its wings fully spread out as a metaphor for the spirits of deceased loved ones ascending to the afterlife. Other artists take a more whimsical approach. Marla Rae’s “Owl Always Love You” shows two cartoon-style owls perched on a tree branch with a full moon in the background and the title below the branch.
As you can see, birds are the subjects of diverse styles of art and even used in different ways. The colors of birds’ feathers can contrast or blend in with the rest of a scene. Sometimes the birds can be combined with other things that indicate a particular season, which also emphasizes the natural world connection mentioned previously. Other artists use birds’ association with the sky and inspiration to incorporate uplifting text into their bird art pieces. Any way you look it at, bird art includes many pieces that any art lover would be proud to display.
