“Meet the neighbours- Sugar & Spice”
Oil on cradled wood panel
30 cm round
SOLD
In every backyard, there are the usual suspects that are always visible. It would be hard to imagine if we were to one day no longer see a magpie. I am sure that is what the people of 1800s felt about the Passenger Pigeon. With vast flocks blocking out the sun. These plentiful birds were declared extinct in 1900.
Ornithologist Aldo Leopold said in 1947- "Men still live who, in their youth, remember pigeons. Trees still live who, in their youth, were shaken by a living wind. But a decade hence only the oldest oaks will remember, and at long last only the hills will know"
In this painting, a 'sweet' sugar glider climbs aboard a 'spicy' magpie as he is swarmed by 'sweet' blue banded bees. All of these creatures are considered least concerned on the IUCN red list but as the story of the passenger pigeon can attest, that status can change in a lifetime.
Progress photo painting in one of the bees on the magpie tail. .
This work is painted over the edge with a wire at the back to hang.
Early blocking in shot of the sugar gliders face.
Microphone of one of the tiny blue banded bees.