They're long-tailed tits, in case you were wondering. My wife made them out of old newspapers and magazines (mainly), and, until today, they were on display at the Bedford Park Summer Exhibition in St. Michael & All Angels Church. They sold instantly, but she has received two commissions on the back of the little chaps, which can be seen in situ here, complete with an orange "sold" sticker...
They aren't the first birds my wife has fashioned. Here are some more examples (what looks like newsprint is just that):
I actually bought two paintings from the exhibition where my wife's birds were snapped up. It isn't often that I'm so struck by a work of art that I want to live with it (let alone two), but a rather abstract painting that looks like a close-up of foliage in a dark, mysterious and distinctly threatening Nordic forest spoke powerfully to something dark, mysterious and threatening (or threatened) in my nature, and there was a small, exquisitely and subtly coloured painting of a pot which I realised I wanted to possess after I'd returned to gaze at it for at least the tenth time - it's simply beautiful. We've just collected them and I'll post photographs when I've had time to enjoy them and we've decided where they should be hung (fortunately, my wife approved of both choices).
Speaking of my wife, she reached the Big Six-Oh earlier this year. Here's a snap taken by our son at Mrs. G's birthday brunch back in January:
Yes, I know I look about thirty years' older than my better half in the photo (and in real life as well, to be honest), but that's just what being married to a saintly man will do for a girl. And, no, I don't know what made me do that silly thing with my fingers, but this 40-year old photo emailed to her by an old friend and colleague at Camberwell College of Art after she posted the one above on Facebook suggests that I'm not the only idiot in whom she awakens this odd compulsion:
Congratulations to your wife for her lovely birds. How I admire her
ReplyDeleteimagination and skill. The first one with the line of birds on a twig
reminded me of a recent advertisement where, in a similar line-up of
birds, one of them bursts out into a sequence of horrible noises and
someone comments "Terrifies the local cats, that one!" I loved all
the other birds as well.
So I am congratulating not only your wife, who looks such a lovely
person in the photograph you posted, but also you, for posting the
text and photos. You must be very proud of her.
Thank you very much, Helen - I am very proud of her, especially as I have no artistic or craft skills whatsoever. My wife was also very touched by your kind comments.
DeleteThank you very much, Helen - I am very proud of her, especially as I have no artistic or craft skills whatsoever. My wife was also very touched by your kind comments.
Delete