Blackbird

Blackbird

In this small painting, a male blackbird falls to earth, echoing the visual language of the dove in religious iconography. The blackbird’s song, often described as richly melodic and almost angelic, is a defining presence in summer gardens, where it carries across hedges and rooftops.

However, this familiar sound now sits alongside emerging ecological pressures. Blackbirds are at risk from the Usutu virus, carried by mosquitoes—vectors that are increasingly able to thrive due to a warming climate and periods of increased rainfall. The work reflects this tension between the beauty and familiarity of the blackbird’s song and the vulnerability introduced by environmental change.

Acrylic on canvas in a white wood frame
Framed 17.5 × 17.5 cm