Art Notes

Much like my uncle, I truly enjoy gardens. They are places of perceived peace, where renewal can be found in the quiet they seem to provide. I believe that the solitude that could be achieved in a garden was what moved Uncle Thom to revel in their painting and experience. In my view, however, these places take on a different feel and generate a new appreciation beyond what my uncle so richly enjoyed. To me, they are places teaming with an energetic harmony between living things where, if you watch closely, there are all manners of creatures to examine and intrigues to explore. This is so in my painting Humming Along, which is part of my Animal Accents series.

In this exploration, I worked to capture the magic of a hummingbird in a garden oasis. Hoovering in a way that almost defies gravity, a little avian denizen living in my imagined garden steals honeysuckle from a springtime flower and in doing so works to pollinate and spread the food source which helps sustain it. As the humming bird darts about the day, other birds look on and add a cacophonic sound-tract to the events that are unfolding. The activities fit each other well and so meld to create the initial peace simply experienced, but far from simple in its nature. I hope you enjoy my vision of the spring garden, and I want to thank you for sharing my adventures in art.