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Description
Behold! The first bird painting to be submitted since last October. It's been far too long. This was finished between other scheming and just had to come out. It was a less than perfect excuse to get some painting done, but there it is all the same.

This is actually a metaphorical/symbolic self portrait, to be honest, and I choose the mockingbird to represent myself for a number of reasons. Not the least of these is my ability to "mimic" through observation of my influences and adding bits to my own "style", and reflecting the world as I myself see it, all the while making a fair amount of noise, ha. I take this thought on mimicry a step further and wonder if the mockingbird has its own inner identity. Who is the mockingbird, really, under its varied and conflicting songs? I often ask this question of myself! In this painting, the mockingbird's eyes seem to be cloudy blue instead of bright gold; and its wings and tail are insubstantial, two dimensional. The bird also seems to be falling more than flying, and one wonders if it may correct its path at some point on the way down!

The bird holds a heavy silver key, spotted with rust from misuse, a weight that drags the bird down with it, though the bird refuses to let go. It could use this key, this ability, if it knew where to find the proper door. But where to begin looking?

Just my feelings on what I'm doing lately making their way into my work. Perhaps the sentiment may change someday when I can properly apply myself. >.< You'll find a similarly themed painting here:

This painting also sort of pays homage to some of my earlier artistic influences (from when I was a young child, honestly): John James Audubon, for one, and I've had a strong admiration of Asian art for a very long time. To be truthful, I'd never acknowledged it had slipped into my work until told by others more recently. Strange how these things work!

I'll willingly accept any critique you can give, but if you've just got comments/questions, that's fine, too.

14 ¼" x 7" (36 x 17 ¾ cm, roughly). Mixed media on fiberboard: acrylic, watercolor, gouache, acrylic sepia ink.

Art and concept © April Schumacher.

Description
Behold! The first bird painting to be submitted since last October. It's been far too long. This was finished between other scheming and just had to come out. It was a less than perfect excuse to get some painting done, but there it is all the same.

This is actually a metaphorical/symbolic self portrait, to be honest, and I choose the mockingbird to represent myself for a number of reasons. Not the least of these is my ability to "mimic" through observation of my influences and adding bits to my own "style", and reflecting the world as I myself see it, all the while making a fair amount of noise, ha. I take this thought on mimicry a step further and wonder if the mockingbird has its own inner identity. Who is the mockingbird, really, under its varied and conflicting songs? I often ask this question of myself! In this painting, the mockingbird's eyes seem to be cloudy blue instead of bright gold; and its wings and tail are insubstantial, two dimensional. The bird also seems to be falling more than flying, and one wonders if it may correct its path at some point on the way down!

The bird holds a heavy silver key, spotted with rust from misuse, a weight that drags the bird down with it, though the bird refuses to let go. It could use this key, this ability, if it knew where to find the proper door. But where to begin looking?

Just my feelings on what I'm doing lately making their way into my work. Perhaps the sentiment may change someday when I can properly apply myself. >.< You'll find a similarly themed painting here:

This painting also sort of pays homage to some of my earlier artistic influences (from when I was a young child, honestly): John James Audubon, for one, and I've had a strong admiration of Asian art for a very long time. To be truthful, I'd never acknowledged it had slipped into my work until told by others more recently. Strange how these things work!

I'll willingly accept any critique you can give, but if you've just got comments/questions, that's fine, too.

14 ¼" x 7" (36 x 17 ¾ cm, roughly). Mixed media on fiberboard: acrylic, watercolor, gouache, acrylic sepia ink.

Art and concept © April Schumacher.