Birds have been a part of my visual vocabulary for a long time. From a few birds dressed in gossamer capes and necklaces or ribbons around their necks to flocks of birds clustering to form a dress.
What is it with birds?
The older I get the more I love to observe and feed them and gotten to know their names – Juncos, Chickadee, Bushtit, Stellar’s Jay, Anna’s Hummer and my favorite, the wren or Zaunkonig –King of Fences in German.
One time at a bird banding excursion I got to hold a tiny wild bird before releasing it. The tiny, light body pulsed and then exploded with energy as it took off leaving me in awe.
My paintings depict in some way everything that enters me, sights, sounds, smells, experiences. They evolve from a visceral space and are laid bare to tell their open ended tale.
Anne Siems 2009
BIRDS will be on exhibit at Littlejohn Contemporary in New York from February 12 through March 14, 2009.