Sweet with Song: Bluebirds Inspire

Homage to my seasonal visitors!

Each spring, my wife and I anxiously await the arrival of our bluebird friends. We have a couple of birdhouses prepped specifically for these annual companions—these houses are sort of our “Airbnb"s for bluebirds.

The Bluebird—

gentle, loyal, sweet with song:
my seasonal cue in how to live strong.

I decided to utilize an antique, decorative frame (one of the many that I’ve collected through the years) to accent a piece of art devoted to our delightful guests. With a backdrop of branches and limbs, I juxtaposed an abstraction of “home” for the focal point of this piece—the bluebirds.

After doing just a little research about our colorful guests, I discovered that they are specifically known as Eastern Bluebirds. They reside year-round in Alabama. Although we often think of them as “spring” visitors, their numbers actually increase in the wintertime due to some that migrate from a little farther north (yeah, we are familiar with “snowbirds” down here).

We typically host them in early March through the summer months. It is then that we observe them nesting. Sometimes they will have two to three broods during this time. What a joy!

These birds appear to be hard workers, very loyal and aware of their individual responsibilities to the building of their family, They are gentle birds with a very pleasant, musical song. They can teach us a lot if we would ponder their nature—gentle, loyal, sweet with song.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? —Matthew 6:25-27 ”

This finished mixed-media piece, approximately 18” x 13”, can be viewed along with other works at my studio—Sienna Cloud Creative at 113 North Three Notch in Troy, Alabama. (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)

2016–2019: "Banner Years" for me!

In my forty plus years as a designer, I’ve had the privilege to design for all forms of media in both print and screen. Recently, I’ve been bombarded with a “new” medium (well, for me at least) and boy did it come rolling in like an Oklahoma dust storm!

The Retractable Display Banner—

I was approached by a colleague in Library Services about a gift they had recently acquired—tens of thousands of collectible postcards, many of which had historical reference to the state of Alabama. How does one display several thousands postcards? After lots of discussion and research it was determined that the accessibility of this collection would be through a web site and also through traveling exhibits of display banners featuring selected postcards complete with historical information. This direction was supported and funded in part by not only Troy University but also the Alabama Humanities Foundation and the National Endowment through the Humanities.

Initially, sixteen (16) banners highlighting “historical building” and “historical streets” of Alabama were designed and produced. These banners have been actively touring the state of Alabama for over three years. Subsequently, there have been eight (8) additional banners featuring these postcards with the topic of “tourism” in Alabama.

This series was just the first. Then came banners for various university departments to use for their recruiting efforts (Kinesiology, Math, Art and Design… to name a few). The Art and Design banner was a fun collaboration along with my design students in a Special Topics class with Brittany Driver Anderson winning the final design concept.

In recent years, I have become “the display banner guru” in my area. Who would have thought? I sure wouldn’t have. It started with one project designing a retractable display banner (you know, like you might take to a trade show or position in a hallway of an exhibit) for a university library. Then, it turned into 8 and then 16. Word spread quickly and now to date I have designed nearly 30 of these and counting! Actually, I rather enjoy it. There is something fun and interesting about the extreme vertical dimensions (approximately 83” high by 32” wide by 12-15” deep). Perhaps it’s all those years designing websites for horizontal screens and this is now bringing some x and y and a little “z” back to my life. ;)