Oh, the singing! Yet, nothing is louder than the hue.
I am continuing with my homage to our feathered friends. Why? Why not? As sure as the sun comes up each morning; and, as certain as God’s mercies are new each and every day; these regular guests share both of these promises with Lana and me. The female sings her persistent and repetitive sonnet in the springtime (perhaps year-round but I hear it mostly in spring) and it’s the sweetest alarm clock. Apparently, the female sings to signal the male to bring food to the nestlings. On the other hand, the male sings to either attract a mate or to scare off an intruder.
I’ve always considered the Cardinal as one of my favorite birds. But as much as I enjoy their lively duets, the only thing louder than their crooning is the color—that stunning bright crimson! It seems that this bright red color on the male Cardinal is the result of carotenoids in their diet. What is a carotenoid? In short, carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for bright red, yellow, and orange hues in many fruits and vegetables.
There are so many interesting things about the Cardinal (the Northern Cardinal, to be more specific). These birds are extremely loyal and they are non-migratory homebodies. They find a mate for life and rarely leave the close proximity (within a mile diameter) of the domain that they were originally hatched in. Oh, and another interesting factoid—their name “Cardinal” is literally from the high ecclesiastical figures of the Catholic Church who rank just below the Pope. Of course, these are the ones that famously wear the red robes. :)
Okay, combine this bit of bird-trivia with my obsession for repurposing interesting, scarred, and storied old frames and you have my most recent pictorial tribute complete with an inspired poem. Enjoy!
This finished mixed-media piece, approximately 12”w x 18”h, can be viewed along with other works at my studio—Sienna Cloud Creative at 113 North Three Notch in Troy, Alabama. (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? —Job 12:7–9”