Artworks

Little bird paintings

“Birdies” Series

Original Artworks

“The 5 greatest brother ever”

mixed media on canvas - 120x45cm

These colorful birds line up before a gold background. Reminiscent of Ferdinand Hodler’s parallelism, this painting leaves open many questions for the viewer. Are the birds walking in a procession? Lined up on a branch? These brothers hold secrets, but they hold them in common.

“Bloody Message”

mixed media on canvas - 50x78cm

This is a painting in revolt, demanding from itself its own meaning. The bird figure stands, seemingly indifferent to the chaos around it, content to look at the stars and chirp its song through the morning.

“Age is whatever you think”

Mixed media on canvas - 50x75cm

Circles create a background in juxtaposition to the familiar bird character. The curves help highlight the sharp angles of the subject, whose grin is a discombobulation of teeth shown against the passing of time. The body seems to be reacting to the background — taking on the circles as if growing boils.

“Don’t grow up, it’s a trap”

mixed media on canvas-95x155cm

Youth springs eternal for the bird who radiates with possibility. No line is set, no color is static. This is the ongoing bloom, the unceasing becoming. The bird stands starry eyed and eager for the present, though the sun continues to rise and set.

“Robin is free”

mixed media on canvas-40x60cm

Across cultures, the bird is a symbol of freedom. Its effervescent path through the sky has always signified the hopes of humanity — to be unencumbered by gravity’s pull. Alive with text and scribbled passions, this painting sings that freedom.

“Robin respects Aboriginal right”

mixed media on canvas-40x80

Crafted in the pointed Aboriginal style that Zoellin learned from his mentors in Australia, this is a celebration of a legacy of creativity that continues from time immemorial. Robin stands here as a reminder of the Aboriginal struggle, depicted in their style.

“Solitude”

mixed media on canvas - 51x72cm

Caught in a scrawled word that blends into the very body, the bird stands in greyness. The words tremble here, snarl there. Some scream while others whisper. The bird is speaking to itself, making conversation alone.

“Fashion Robin”

mixed media on canvas - 50x78cm

This mixed media birdie is framed in the format of a magazine — celebrating the key image of the series in the way our culture does best. The hijacking of the cover model motif transforms the bird, taking on collage elements like plastic surgery.

“Robin is cruising”

mixed media on canvas-60x80cm

Here we have a change of pace. The patchwork of red broods under the mint green feathers of an exhausted bird. Robin is worn out, weary, coming in from a long flight. The bird almost melts, ready to drop into the nest and sleep off the miles. While Robin might be cruising, he is ready for rest.

“Robin knows the truth”

acrylic on canvas-45x60cm

We see Robin beleaguered by some heavy-weighted knowledge. The body is made up of black squares that pile inside like the leaden bodies of hard lessons. Learning is not always easy and does not always bring joy. And those things that cannot be healed or cast off must be carried.

“Robin tries to be rainbow in someone’s cloud”

acrylic on canvas-95x155cm

Birds are colorful creatures. Seen through the avian visible light spectrum, even the sparrow appears resplendent. And so, Robin can teach us how to bring color to people’s lives, especially when the grey has come, as it always has and always will.

“Tears are the words the heart cannot say”

-acrylic on canvas - 40x80cm

Painted in blue, the bird lives in a world dripping in tears. Language is absent, and so the painting speaks only in its colors and lines and brush strokes. We want to hear the bird tell its tale, but what is there to say? Is the silence not enough?