Precious Moments Finalist

"Precious Moments" depicts a delicate little chickadee inspired by the local wildlife in my home state of Maine. The chickadee is our state bird and it's a beautiful, distinct sounding creature that I had the privilege of growing up seeing and hearing often. Painted in a disrupted-realism style with oil on panel, the looser markings aid in the feeling of movement and life, as if this little bird just landed on it's tiny perch and is eyeing its surroundings before taking off back into the sky! I used soft colors to surround the bird to emphasize its tender nature and really showcase its own beautiful, yet subtle markings. The loose, painterly gestures add a little visual texture while the light coloring aid in not distracting the viewer from the main subject.