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Sugar Bush -
Red-breasted Nuthatch by Michael Dumas
"The red-breasted
nuthatch is a common bird in my area, and I see them on an almost
daily basis. This sort of familiarity and visual contact is very
much at the heart of what inspires me to paint. The individual bird
in my painting is one that I have coaxed onto my hand many times by
holding out a few seeds, and he seems to recognize me when I step
outside. Because of this I get the opportunity to watch first-hand
and very close-up as he forages in upside-down fashion searching for
food on tree-trunk and branches. It is all so intimate and full of
trust, and it was my hope that this would show in the final
painting".
-
Michel Dumas
Medium: Oil on prepared panel
(panel handcrafted by the artist)
"One of
the most recurring themes in my work involves quiet and often
recessive corners, be they old rural buildings, lowly roadside
tangles, or shadowy worlds of the deep woods. In settings such as
portrayed in 'Evening Chores' there is something about the textures,
play of light, and sense of age that invokes strong emotions and
recollections that go back to my childhood. I always get the sense
that there is some hidden secret to be found in places like these,
if only one is attuned to such things. It is the sense of discovery
to be found in often overlooked aspects of reality that holds a
great appeal to me, and even in the subtle beauty of such things as
the humble house sparrow there is something profound and moving".
-
Michel Dumas
Medium:
Graphite (with Gouache accents) on acid free Bristol
