Surprise Encounter
I have been fascinated by all species of birds ever since I was a young boy. When you live in North Dakota as I did, my favorites were found in rural areas I could ride my bike to. Marshes filled with cattails and croaking frogs are where the red winged blackbirds took up residence.
I remember a time on my Grandmother’s farm, sitting on a bank, and watching a very vocal brown bird cling to the stem of cattail. Then a bigger blackbird with scarlet red patches on his wings grabbed the same reed and huddled close by. Quite a conversation went on between them, as well as a dance. If they were a couple, I wondered why they looked so different. One of the many questions you ask as a child.
I painted this version of the encounter to reflect on that special moment. But when I asked myself, “Why choose this?” I realized something deeper is beginning to stir. It’s about more than that moment, something all together different. I sense a disruption is about to happen, something I am just becoming aware of. Changes coming down at the gallery where my art has been displayed may not be favorable to me. I feel God wants me to listen to my inner drummer, which I believe means Him. As the year winds down, I’ll proceed gently and embrace inspiration no matter where it comes from.
