I have always envied birds their ability to fly. At some point, I began to wonder if, perhaps, the birds in turn envy us our opposable thumbs. I started several years ago drawing birds with human hands for feet, and began to notice that, once endowed with thumbs, they tended to take on other human characteristics as well.
The “Aviary” is a series of ten drawings done in April and May of 2020, during a period of isolation due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Each bird started as a sketch from memory and imagination, and they began, as I drew them, to assert themselves as character types, each with an identity and a story to tell. Props, and sometimes bits of costume, appeared, according to the needs of each story. It is human nature to anthropomorphize birds and animals, and these drawings do just that, using them as commentary on our own habits and foibles.
I hope you enjoy them.
Some of these images have been sold, but some remain available . All of them can be purchased as archival, “Fine Art” prints. Contact me for availability and pricing.
