a second bird

I have been meaning to post this for the last couple of days-only each time I started writing something intervened, then I worked on it some more, re-photographed it, didn’t post and here we are today.

This is the upper bird, sitting on a twig. Darwin records, ” I saw the only specimen, which I procured, feeding on the fruit of an opuntia at Maldonado.” (Argentina) In the illustrations of the “Voyage of the Beagle,” it is described as Tanagra darwinii . I can’t find any other images or much information about this species, so this little bird seems to have  a uniqueness, almost a fairytale quality, to it.

The bird is painted onto white chiffon, and fixed onto a blue/gold coloured metal/silk organza. The colour shows up well against a piece of gold silk behind the painting. The twigs are darned with different cotton, rayon and silk threads and the leaves are painted bondaweb with stitching for the leaf veins. There is still work to do on three of the leaves, but this is fun.

Spring really feels like it is on its way here. It is nearly 5 o’clock and the sun is still above the horizon, shining gently on the snowdrop flurry in the garden. No daffodils yet, but dozens of buds forming. I love this time of year.