Welcome to Avian Art!

Photography by Diana Brennan

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:09:00 +0000

Inspired by a trip to a natural history museum in Rhode Island, photographer Diana Brennan has created a beautiful series of photographs that are part art and part science. Although initially some of the pieces may remind you of scientific illustrations, she has a remarkable way of capturing the depth of the subject in its created environment, don't you think? You are left not only with an impression of the subject, but also of the character of the natural history museum. Well done, I say.

She has a great number of lovely and poetic pieces available through her Etsy store, DS Brennan Photography. I highly recommend a visit.

I'm back...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Well, I've been away for a while. It was quite a busy summer and I had much going on. I've also started job-hunting like crazy so that's taken up a lot of time. But I'm finally back. And I'd really like to share a bit of exciting news. The new Academy of Sciences has just re-opened in Golden Gate Park. AND... they have a penguin cam. AND it's a nice one. It has a nice clear picture so you can fully appreciate all of the fat squishy waddling in all kinds of glorious detail. Plus there are three different web cams to choose from. Oh my gosh, how I long to hug and squeeze a penguin. Here's the link. Enjoy!!! To support the Academy (including the penguin breeding program), you can donate or become a member. They haven't reached their fund-raising goal yet. Or just visit the page to learn more about the species. I just learned that African penguins mate for life. How sweet is that?

Temporarily OFF...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:22:00 +0000

Thanks for visiting my blog. Due to a family illness and a wedding, I will not be updating this blog for the next couple of months. Please check back in August for new bird art, gifts, and products. Thanks.

Finally...some bird T-shirts.

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:03:00 +0000

I do realize I have neglected an important area of bird art and design- apparel! Now, I have a special place in my heart for cafepress because not only do I sell t-shirts with my designs through them, but so do thousands of other aspiring artists and designers. The only glitch about it for the consumer is that because anyone can upload anything, there's quite a bit o' crap to wade through to find the good stuff. But there is a lot of good stuff too. Here are a few items I found this morning:

This retro Owl tank top ($24.50, above) is available through cafepress shop "beyoutees". This design is also available on a number of other women's shirts.

This retro dove design, from cafepress shop "creativetaylor", is available on T-shirts for the whole family. This cap-sleeved T-shirt comes in your choice of black or brown sleeves for $19.99.

This women's raglan with the "Live, Love, Laugh" little birdie design (above, $23.99) is just one of many very pretty designs available through cafepress shop, "rhonnafarrer".

And finally, a more masculine design: This tribal raven men's ringer T-shirt is available for $19.99 through cafepress shop, "shadowsay". It's also available on other styles of men's T-shirts.

Art by Marilyn Suchan

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:17:00 +0000

I just love the patterns and colors in this piece, "Barn Owl" by Marilyn Suchan. I also love how he's so fuzzy-looking. Giclees of this piece start at just around $13 for an 8 x 10 reproduction. Prints up to 45 x 36 inches are available for this piece.

Collage by Lauren Abrams

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:43:00 +0000

I came across this very lovely piece of collage artwork by Lauren Abrams on the Imagekind homepage this morning. This piece, entitled "Collage 9", is available as a 11 x 15 inch giclee print for $11.

Wooden Bird & Owl Postcards from Patina

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:16:00 +0000

I meant for these to be my "What a Deal Thursday" items yesterday... but, you know.... I skipped yesterday. So anyway, I'm told these cute little finds are created with a slice of eco-concious sustainably harvested wood. Score! A deal AND eco-friendly?! That totally rocks. I think they're too cute to send, but you can actually mail them if you want to. These wooden bird postcards are available at Patina, along with lots of other cute stuff.

Bird Charity Friday: Galapagos Conservancy

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Fri, 23 May 2008 23:26:00 +0000

I'm so late with my posts today... and I completely missed yesterday. I apologize- I've been tending to other projects. And suffering from a bit of an existential crisis... what with living off my dwindling savings and having an anti-midas touch when it comes to matters of business. All the while, I begin to see my catfood-eating, section 8 retirement years looming on the horizon. OK, I'm being a little bit dramatic. Just a little bit. It is on the horizon though. Anyhoo...on to Bird Charity Friday... Today I'd like to tell you about Galapagos Conservancy. Although not specifically a bird charity, their are MANY remarkable species of birds on the Galapagos Islands, as you are well aware, I'm sure. They urgently need extra donations right now because 53 sea lions were recently clubbed to death and they are desperately trying to raise funds for the investigation into the attack as well additional monitoring of at-risk animals. To help, your donation of just $25 will be rewarded with a one year newsletter subscription to "Galapagos News". They also have some really unique ties (with iguanas and blue-footed boobies!) (pictured below, $40) in their online store, as well books, cards, T-shirts, mugs and more. Also shown below is a book of eight Galapagos bedtime stories ($19.95) by Paula Tagle. Check out their web site- it's got lots of information and tons of beautiful photos.

Bird Art by Matt Adrian

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:42:00 +0000

Well, I'm attempting my first trackback here. I hope I'm doing it right. I came across some very cool bird paintings by Matt Adrian in a post on the Birder's World Magazine Blog, Field of View. Some of his work is cool and kinda funny (see "Whom" below), and some pieces are just beautiful (see "Will You Put Down That US Magazine and Listen To Me" below). I really like his choice of colors and his use of brushstrokes. You can shop directly from his Etsy shop, The Mincing Mockingbird where he sells original paintings, prints, and magnets.

Unusual Bird News of the Week... Homing Pigeon Found Way Off-Track

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:54:00 +0000

Now it's easy for us to say he was way off-track, but perhaps little "NPA 707RJ556" knew exactly where he was headed when he flew for a month straight from his home in Los Angeles to land on the dryer vent of a Animal Medical Center in Michigan. Perhaps. I mean, homing pigeons are quite smart despite their little brains and I believe they have a pretty darn good sense of direction. According to WOOD TV8 (Grand Rapids News), the pigeon's owner said something spooked the little guy and made him fly off. Then when so much time passed, he didn't expect to see his pigeon again. Unfortunately, due to the expense of shipping, the owner does not want the bird returned. So if you're into pigeons and you live in the Michigan area, you can give little NPA 707RJ556 a new home. And a better name. (I vote for "Fred".) FYI, I just checked out the National Pigeon Association web site and I'm so intrigued by this hobby. There are some VERY good-looking pigeons out there. Some of them have really fluffy feet. Fluffy feet are the cutest. And there's this sort of romantic "On the Waterfront" draw for me too. So many potential hobbies, so little time... How does one choose between competitive pumpkin growing and competitive pigeon breeding?

"Three Birds on a Wire" by Jennifer Lommers

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:14:00 +0000

I just love the shades of yellow in this mixed media painting ("Three Birds on a Wire") by artist Jennifer Lommers. Giclee prints of this piece are available through Imagekind starting at around $10.

Pink Birdy Coin Purse by Patina Store

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:34:00 +0000

OK, so let me get back to the topic at hand... Speaking of hands, I came across this handy-dandy little Pink Birdy Coin Purse ($10.95) at PatinaStores.com. It measures 3 x 4 inches and even has a key ring so you can attach it to your belt loop for hands-free coin carrying. Cute, huh?

Prints by Aline Yamada

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:20:00 +0000

"White Lovebirds" (pictured below) is available as print ($20) through artist Aline Yamada's Etsy shop, YumiYumi. This signed giclee print on rag paper measures 8.5 x 11 inches. I'm so excited to have come across her shop because she's got a bunch of sweet and lovely bird artwork. It will be hard to choose just one!

Artwork by Kendra Binney

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:02:00 +0000

This signed, limited edition reproduction of the delicate and ethereal painting, "Let Go" by artist Kendra Binney is available though her web site, kendra-binney.com. The wood-mounted reproduction ($50) measures 6 x 12 and is protected by a coat of plastic resin.

Bird Charity Friday: Pacific Wildlife Project

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:34:00 +0000

For this edition of Bird Charity Friday, I'd like to focus on the Pacific Wildlife Project. This non-profit organization in California specializes in the rescue and care of pelicans and seabirds. The Project's director also aided in the return of the famous swallows of San Juan Capistrano when their numbers suddenly decreased a few years back. You can donate through their website or you can make purchase from their Cafepress shop. The mousepad pictured below sells for just 14.99. You can even adopt a pelican ($250) and sponsor its food and medical care until its release. To show you their gratitude, you will receive an art print, a bio and photo, and you'll even get to name your pelican.

Bird Artwork at Etsy shop: BirdNerd

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:01:00 +0000

For my final post of the day, I'm pleased to share with you my most recent Etsy find. (I know, Etsy is endlessly gratifying...) Chelsea of BirdNerd creates the loveliest bird paintings with unique colors and lots of patterns. They're really very cool. Plus she has prints in various sizes and postcards, so there are lots of affordable choices for your bird decorating pleasure. Here are a couple of pieces from her shop, BirdNerd:

Queen Bee's Chirp Bag from Shana Logic

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:50:00 +0000

Shana Logic is another jewel of a store. This online shop is full of super cute, unique stuff created by indie designers... the kind of stuff that everyone will scrambling over eachother to ask you, WHERE did you get THAT? And I found quite a few bird-inspired products on her pages. This Chirp Bag (by Queen Bee, which has more cute bags on their web site) sells for $64 and is made of water-proof vinyl:

Pewter Bird Measuring Spoons

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:33:00 +0000

I seem to be on a kitchen kick today. That's ok- I'll just go with it. Here's one more must-have for your chirpilly cheerful kitchen. This set of very elegant and sweet pewter bird measuring spoons are available through The Spoon Sisters for $85. (Hey, they're pewter.) I don't mean to toot my own horn, but seriously, I am finding some great stuff.

Salt & Pepper Shakers...Lovebirds, Penguins and Owls, oh my.

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:11:00 +0000

If you have a thing for the birds and the salt and pepper shaker sets, you're going to want to know about the MOTHER LODE. It's not actually called that. I just called it that to be dramatic. It's called Salt-PepperShakers.com. And they have a ton of cute bird salt and pepper shakers. Here are just a couple of examples ($11.99 per set):

"What a deal!" Thursdays...Bird Lemon Squeezers

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:57:00 +0000

The BEST thing about a new project is that I get to just make things up as I go along. What a deal Thursdays...who knows what crazy theme will pop up next? I still have 5 days a week without themes, you know...So here we have not one, but TWO bird lemon squeezers (one metal, one acrylic) for just $5.95, available through ChefGadget.com. You could keep one and give one to your bird-crazy friend and then you could make lots of lemon meringue pie together.

Unusual Bird News of the Week...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:17:00 +0000

And in my first "Unusual Bird News of the Week" post, I'd like to share this story I came across at msnbc; "Seal Caught on Tape Molesting a Penguin". There is a picture, but I'm not posting it. Kinda wonder about the person who took the video... but I guess I wouldn't argue with a 240 pound seal either. Poor little (30 pound) penguin. Anyhoo, it is an unusual occurrence. Luckily, the penguin is OK. She is walking a little funny... (I couldn't resist.) And as one the researchers, Nico De Bruyn, was quoted as saying, "This has obvious implications for humans." ...Really?

Artwork by Jen Lobo

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:21:00 +0000

So I just discovered Blue Flip Art which is another site that works with artists to sell giclee prints. What makes them unique is that 10% of the purchase price of each print goes to a charity of the artist's choice. Pretty cool, huh? The charity in this case is the World Wildlife Fund, the artist is Jen Lobo and the piece pictured here, a 17 x 10 inch print of "Jealousy" is available for $42.95. I'm such a sucker for cute and sad. But then I love the depth and pattern of this piece too- it's so cool. It's like if Juxtapoz and Anthropologie went on a date... (I'm not going to hyperlink those- Sorry.) One final link for you: Jen Lobo has a web site here (with more bird artwork!).

B&W Quail Photo by Orm Aniline

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:00:00 +0000

This fantastic photo (entitled "no") by photographer Orm Aniline is available through Yessy in three sizes (8 x 10 print for $50). I don't know which is more exquisite, the photograph or the quail. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so perfectly capture both strength and vulnerability in a photograph.

Prints by Sara Field

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:45:00 +0000

I just love art with a sense of humor. I had to share this print I came across in Sara Field's print gallery at Imagekind. An unframed giclee print of this painting, entitled "Ode to Klimt or The Kiss of Death" is available for $16.49. She also has a number of other bird pieces, all with bold colors and strong, clean compositions.

The Fat Finch- A Smorgasbord of Super Cute Bird Finds!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna O. Nimus) — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:11:00 +0000

In case you were wondering, yes I did have to look that up in the dictionary. And I would also like to tell my 26 unique visitors to hold on to your hats because my blog is about to get SO GOOD. I bought a book; About blogging and how to do it right. And now I know what an rss is and what a feedburner does. See? I have the little icon to prove it. So now you can SUBSCRIBE to me. I am going to be so interesting at cocktail parties... But, I digress. Today, I would like to share with you a little jewel of a find. If you like the bird stuff, you need to know about The Fat Finch. The cuteness begins at their home page and doesn't even end at their privacy policy page. And the owner's blog, Bird Brain Blog, has a ton of in-depth articles about birds and some great images (including a photo of a baby platypus, which I swear is the cutest baby animal I've ever seen). So here are just a couple of items from their very large assortment. Trust me- you'll want to visit and bookmark it. Or de.ilio.us it or whatever you're all doing nowadays to keep track of stuff. Go now, but come back here again soon, OK?