Art work for Valentine's Day ~ Spring 2011

With Spring coming... Yes, I know it is coming! I can see it in brief moments when I notice the start of tiny buds forming on some trees... I have been thinking about song birds for some reason. Maybe it is because at this time of year I only see a lot of pigeons roosting in our village. The arrival of song birds in the Northern Hemisphere signals the return of Spring.

Here in Provence, France, when Spring arrives, the morning and evening sky is filled with Swift birds in our village. They have nests under the eves of our house on the third floor (and yes, lots of poop on our window railings of the front of the house) and the baby birds start their song for food early every morning. Unfortunately, often before the sun even makes an appearance, say 4 am. On a bought of insomnia, they keep me company till my kids wake up. The birds live with us through the summer months, departing sometime in September or October.

I have been trying to decided which song bird is my favorite. In doing some research on the symbolism of certain song birds, and listening to the enormous amount of recorded song birds on YouTube, I had an idea for a project for Spring. A sort of Spring intentions box through the symbolism of a favorite song bird. I have been doing some journal work the last week for an art project I have been tossing around in my mind for Valentine's Day and/or Spring.

I decided to ask my mother and husband which is their favorite song bird. My mother choose the Robin bird, and in fact, so did my husband. Though I feel like I would like to give my husband a different theme box. Maybe a hunting bird? Still a work in progress at this point for him.

Here is the Robin Bird Box