Our Avian Friends
This collection features original paintings of our avian friends, capturing their unique charm and presence in everyday life. They are all around us—soaring up high in the sky, perched on our fences, nestled within the trees. We hear their songs greeting us in the morning and bidding us goodnight in the evening. Their lively squabbles, gentle chitters, and sharp squawks create a soundtrack to our days. Yet, for the most part, they go unnoticed—a familiar sound blending seamlessly into the background of our daily routines. This collection is designed to inspire the viewer to step outside, look up and around more attentively, and fully appreciate the vibrant beauty and abundant life that exists just beyond your window.
Medium
Acrylic on Paper, Acrylic on Board, Acrylic on Canvas
About this Collection
This collection of paintings holds a particularly special place in my heart, as it marks my significant return to the world of art after being away for nearly a decade.
My renewed passion began when I became fascinated with the world of birds, a journey sparked by downloading the Merlin app from Cornell University. For anyone who appreciates birds and hasn’t yet tried this app, I highly recommend it—it’s an incredible tool that allows you to record the birds you hear and identify them instantly. Through this app, I discovered just how many birds were living right in my own backyard, something I had never truly appreciated before.
The more time I spent listening and observing, the more species I identified, and the deeper my knowledge grew. When the creative impulse to paint returned, it felt natural to focus on birds as my subject matter. Although I have always been a painter, my skills had become quite rusty from my long hiatus, so I enrolled in a class on painting birds taught by Jane Kim, the talented artist responsible for Cornell’s renowned Wall of Birds. That class equipped me with a fantastic set of techniques and insights that helped me bring birds to life on paper.
Once I picked up my brush again, I found it impossible to stop painting. This collection simply would not have come to fruition without the guidance and inspiration of Jane Kim. So, Jane, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
