Pigeon Post

Pigeinspiration!

At last a new print. Inspired by a fleeting moment when a Pigeon decided to perch on my garden table last summer. It gave me a funny look, then took off again.

People don’t seem to like pigeons, but I had to admire the attractive colours and super smooth feathers. The scene looked like a still life painting to me – the bowl, vase and plant pot with a nice textural backdrop of Verbena Bonariensis, Hydrangea Annabelle and Goldenrod. In the foreground there’s what I call my ‘Mosaic Snake’, it’s made from Roman tesserae – treasure found when gardening over the years. Don’t tell the archaeologists!

Working on this print has made me look at these pesky birds in a different light. Why is it we find them annoying, when actually all they are doing is thriving in our world? I noticed a lot of activity in the snowball tree earlier in the summer, now there seems to be a nest with two babies. I get a really good view from my hot tub and they seem happy to ignore me, even when the bubbles are on. Let’s hope Darwin doesn’t spot them! This must be a second brood as it's August, and another couple are getting busy at the other end of the garden building a nest too, so there’s more flapping about and cooing to come I think.

Here are the first two editions of the print - it amuses me how the slight variation on the eye position creates a different expression - number two is definitely giving the side eye!

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