BTS: The Spring Chickadee

Have you ever wondered what an artist was thinking when they were painting a piece you really enjoyed? Sometimes when I’m at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, I’ll find myself musing what the artist was thinking or what made them paint the way that they did. So I thought I would begin to share the stories behind the various works I’ve created over the past few years.

This one is my favorite watercolors that I’ve painted. So simple, yet so sweet.

The First Flower

When I painted this bird, I was truly happy and I’ve found that my biggest painting spurts come when I feel joy. This was painting back in the April 2023, after I had just found new love. Everything felt bright and new and fresh, just like the coming spring.

He had just left to go for a quick run before we went out for the night, so I set up my little portable painting easel on the patio of his apartment. It overlooked a golf course with lots of beautiful greenery. There’s that moment every Boston spring when it goes from frozen landscape to lush spring in an instant and no one seems to know when it exactly even switched and April 2, 2023 was that day for me. I looked around the patio, breathing in the freshness of the earth and noticed that the snowdrops were peeking out.

I also heard a little chirp and saw a chickadee sitting in the nearby bush. The chickadee is the state bird of Massachusetts, my home state. He kept me company for quite a while - longer than I think a wild bird normally would - so I knew I would have to incorporate him into my spring painting. This piece, like most of my work is a miniature, measuring at about 2.5 inches x 2.5 inches. I love painting small since it allows me to paint quickly and to capture my feelings, emotions, and hopes as I feel them. I hope you enjoyed the behind the scenes story about my little ode to spring and new beginnings.