Life Totem #7. The Dance of Herons Painting

I have always been drawn to nature as an artist and often find myself questioning why. The pull for me is never stronger than when I witness bird dance- something that I and many others find magnetically inspirational. In my art and my life, I wonder sometimes what it is about these creatures and their rituals that have the power to stir up such strong emotion, and I explore the question in my newest edition of The Dance of Herons. To represent the joyous, free-flowing movement of birds’ dancing, I decided to create a round painting and play with visual form. By layering and stretching streaks of color around the herons, I hoped to bring movement and life to the art, just as birds do to the world. My play with form in this painting gives an almost 3D appearance that works well with modern wall design and art. In my eyes, however, it goes deeper than just aesthetics and pays respect to the dance of these majestic birds that inspire me so much. The color scheme I chose for this work feels ethereal to me, which speaks to the magical power of bird song and dance. Two bright white heron birds come together in a celebration in the center of the image, representing the spiritual harmony that these creatures symbolize. Vibrant streaks of pink and yellow break up the image with a flash of excitement, while a cool blue base draws on the calm, patience, and purity of the heron image. I think the way the heron dance can mean so many things to so many people is part of what makes it so inspirational: beauty and meaning are in the eye of the beholder. Choosing a round painting for modern wall design is a simple but effective way to draw the eye and pull interest. Immediately, the irregular shape changes the entire feeling of the painting, making it feel more like a portal into a live scene than a static frame print. Any space can benefit from an injection of joy and visual creativity, and what better creature to deliver it than the heron?