I was recently invited by a real “birder” to join him on a little hike in south Fargo along the river to go “birding.” I met A.G. at my Studio Crawl art event and learned he is beyond the basics of birding. As a “wannabe birder” for many years, I jumped at the chance.
I took my camera, binoculars, and headed out early in the morning with A.G. Four hours later, I had photographed about 15 different species of birds that I don’t normally find at my bird feeder, such as the Swainson’s Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, American Redstarts, and Cedar Waxwings. A. G. was a great teacher and gave me the Birding 101 basics. His eyes and ears are evidence of his own artistic spirit. Bonus: while on the hike, I met three more birders through A.G., resulting in more knowledge and potential resources for my artwork.
Personally, I think “virtual” learning is for the birds. In order to truly connect, I must engage with people directly.
Two points I must make about in-person, not virtual, art events: 1. I meet very interesting people who have resources that run deep, allowing me to learn so much from them. I had casually mentioned to AG that I wanted to go birding, and 6 months later, he remembered my interest and now I am on my way. My world opens up further because of people God places in my path.
2. I fall in love with God’s beauty in a new, fresh way, and suddenly am inspired toward a new series of bird paintings. It’s that easy: people and nature combine to open up more artistic avenues.
If you are interested in seeing my new bird series, stay tuned.