Well... I sold my Blue Jay painting and I couldn't be happier with where it's going.
I painted that piece in honor of my Grandmother, Verda.
Growing up I spend plenty of time at Grandma's house. She was a huge bird enthusiast and I spent what seemed like hours going through her bird books. I was (and am) completely fascinated with birds.
Some time after she passed away last year, I was suddenly thrown into a frenzy of creative bird making.
I drew a Blue Jay with Oil Pastel on paper. It sat around for a while, waiting to become something more. Eventually I just went to town on a piece of cardboard and added it to a mixed media piece. It was an amazing process and it was the first time I had used so many different items in one piece.
It hung on my wall for months until my current show.
I've had 2 people offer to purchase it and then back out. It's been really frustrating because it means so much to me, I really want someone to love it just as much as the love I put into it.
Well... I just heard Buddy out front greeting the Post Lady. She's really nice and we've had plenty of conversations. I invited her to take a look at my show, and as it turns out, she delivers mail there, too.
As I grabbed my mail I heard "Amy, I love my Jay!" I didn't get what she was saying... "huh?"
"Oh, you don't even know yet..." She walked down the sidewalk to me and told me she had purchased the "Blue Jay" painting and she loved it.
I was thrilled because she's so sweet and I really dig her vibe, I knew she would appreciate the story behind it, so I quickly explained what it meant to me... getting misty eyed along the way.
She gave me a hug and asked if I wanted to hear why it meant so much to her.
"Oh yes, of course I do!"
As it turns out, her cat Ollie passed away last week. She has been having a hard time, as anybody would after losing a family member. She said that Ollie used to beg and beg and beg for food. He would "bitch at her", as she put it. Well, shortly after Ollie died a Blue Jay started to appear in a tree, in her yard. She used to feed the birds, but had stopped because of the raccoon issue. Well, this Blue Jay started to "bitch and bitch and bitch" at her every time she would go into her yard. She started feeding it. Eventually, the bird, which she calls the "Ollie Reincarnate" had made friends with a little squirrel. The Blue Jay and the Raccoon actually eat together like a little family.
One thing about birds and losing loved ones.... it seems that there's always a healing moment involving a bird, if you are open to it. A weird "did you see that???" moment with a bird soaring, a song coming from a lovely singing bird, or when you can hear the little peeps and chatter in the woods while hiking or camping, or the chance at viewing an amazing bird formation flying through the desert sunset...
Birds are sacred, there's no doubt about it.
This whole exchange happened 20 minutes ago. I couldn't be happier to help her feel connection and healing through my artwork.
Blue Jay has found a very good home.
