My Finch Collection

With the countdown to my trip to Paris, I have stopped projects around the house.  I thought I would take the next few days showing you collections from around my home.  First up is my collection of finches in my aviary in my studio. 

 I have four pair of different breeds of finch in my aviary.  Here are a few snap shots...........

Above is Seedo. She is the female in the pair I call, Tux and Seedo.  I thought their markings looked like they were wearing a tuxedo.

In the image above are Tux and Lupe.  Lupe is the female in a pair I called Fruit and Lupe.  They are colorful Gouldian finch from Australia, so I name them after the cereal Fruit Loops.

This is Blue.  He is the male part of the pair of Blue and Belle.  Obviously....their color is what dictated my name.  They are the sweetest, most gentle of all the birds in the aviary.

In the foreground of the above image is a stressed out Flame.  He is the male part of the team of Flame and Fannie.  Fannie is in the images to the right. They both have super bright orange markings on their backsides, thus Flame Fannie.  Flame currently doesn't have any feathers on his head from breeding stress.  Sometimes birds in captivity become confused about the timing of breeding. When they cannot find the correct materials to build a nest, they will pick each other for bedding.  I am at the point of removing him to a hospital cage to get him away from Fannie.  She is relentless. (Amazing what women will do to fix up their house nests.)

 Above is Fruit and Lupe along with Belle.  Notice that Belle doesn't have the red spot like Blue in the previous images.  That is how I tell them apart.  Fruit is starting his molting process.  You can see some of the evidence on his face.

Whenever I take images of my birds, they fly all around the aviary and make it difficult. But not Tux and Seedo.  They stare me down as if to say, "You don't frighten me with that big camera!"  Tux is definitely the boss in the aviary. He is the first to take baths, first to eat.  He even hogs all the nesting boxes when I first put them in for breeding season.  Nobody messes with Tux.  Tough guy.

Hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek into my collection of finch.  I love them.  The constant chirping, tweeting, fluttering wings and cracking on seeds keeps me company while I work in my studio.  They sure do make a mess, but I'm keeping them around.

-The End-

Why Can't We All Be Like That Wise Old Bird?

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird? 

I have a special place in my heart for owls.  I wrote back in April about my childhood memories of a pro-environment ad campaign called, Give A Hoot Don't Pollute and their mascot, Woodsy the Owl.   Other than that advertisement, I cannot remember really giving owls much thought before I returned for my second college degree 7 years ago.  You see, the college that I attended was built on a burrowing owl preserve.  I would take short breaks in the morning to watch the cute little creatures hop around their burrowed holes.  (I think these are the same species that are a part of that book, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen.) 

They gave me such joy, in a kindred way.  Funny little guys....little creatures who we have come to know as wise and old.  I think the little poem above is told to just about every small child in order to teach the idea of staying quiet and listening.   



Pixleyes.com

My mother was a wise old owl, even at a very young age.  She was full of great advice.  She was also a great listener.  I think these two things go hand in hand.  As a grow older, I really understand the importance of listening instead of speaking.  Perhaps this is why I have grown to be so fond of this little feathery, fluffy friend whose eyes stare out projecting the appearance of intense listening and watching.  

Since finding Woodsy back a few months ago, I have been on a hunt for opportunities to up cycle discarded owls.  My sister found two of these wise fellows while shopping in thrift shops this summer.  I found the last one (no before pic, sorry) while shopping with her in a thrift shop a few days ago. 

 

So this morning, I got out a can of Valspar Spray Paint in White Satin, and gave my new friends a new look.  I haven't set them up in any great table scape yet.  I will probably get around to that after my vacation.  Even without a special perch, I think they turned out nifty. 

Aren't they adorable?!! .....and so very wise, I am sure!!  Shhh.......listen, you might just hear them thinking.

-The End-

A Pause For Reflection, Six Months Goes By Fast!

In 6 short days, The Homeless Finch will celebrate a 6 month anniversary.  I can hardly believe that I have been at this for almost 6 months and haven't missed a day since March 1st.  Phew!  I decided to go back and read my original post today.  I know that the majority of those who follow this blog were not around for that March 1st posting, so I have decided to re-publish it today with the addition of images of some of my favorite projects that I have completed along the way. 

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WHAT AM I GETTING MYSELF INTO?!!

(re-print from March 1, 2011)

"You're starting a blog? Why?!! Who would ever read it?"  Sharing ideas with my teenagers always results in raw, honest reactions.  I have raised them to be strong people with the ability to speak the truth, or at least their truth. 

Here I find myself, with 46 years behind me.  Six years ago, I returned to college to pursue a second degree. A degree that was denied me the first go around by my well-meaning parents who thought a business, teaching, or advertising degree made me more employable.  I picked the latter. 

Now, I had a lot to prove to myself.  A huge lists of "I'm forty now, I have to finally do something for me. No regrets."  Funny thing is.....after toiling over my BFA in Studio Art and coming out with an impressive 4.0, I still didn't really know what that was....."Doing something for myself."  The only part of that I understood was that when my rapidly growing children went off to college and I became an "Empty Nester,"  I needed to "have a life!"  I had observed my own mother fumbling around after we left and never really finding her footing.  She passed young, 59, and never really ever overcame our leaving.  That wasn't going to be me!  (Nail biting here.)   

So, I graduated into the worst economy of my lifetime, wounded by the over-arching critical comments of a professor and facing an election of a President in a tough time for our country.  Art career could wait. Right??  Was it that I needed to simmer a little?  Was it that old adage, the fearful artist?  Was it that I got too much of a head start on MY "life" with my kids still living under my roof?  Issues raising teenagers have been huge dis-tractors.  Or was it the tool in which I allowed myself to be distracted?  Until now, I have not truly pursued my career.  

Okay.....back on subject.  I have always had this love....no obsession....no addiction (For those who get this, there is a difference.)  for vintage finds, shabby chic, french country, mid-century goodies and the like.  I see the opportunity in what others might see as discard-able.  Yes, I know.....how do you make all that work?  When I was much younger, I had a designer tell me that if I love something, buy it and somehow it will "work."  I repeat that often to the hazy gazes of those who stand in my house seemingly wondering why I have put such a crazy collections of stuff together.  I am still sorting through whether it always works.

I have been trash picking off of bulk piles in my neighborhood, haunting tag sales and strolling collectible stores and fixing up what I find for years.  I was doing this before Rachel ever came out with her books and coined the phrase "Shabby Chic.".....  "Shabby Chic!!!!  Shabby Chic!!??  You mean someone out there has validated my obsessions??"  I was excited.  I thought, "I'm not the only crazy out there!.....Maybe, I'm not crazy?"   I use to dream of the day that I could have a business connected in someway to that concept.  But, something was missing.....or was it? 

Did I need a certifiable college degree in art to achieve this?  Probably not, but I thought so.  "What the heck," I said, "I'm going back to college." Made the split second decision in less than an hour and drove to the university.  By lunch I was registered for classes that started the following week.  It was, for me, the best four years of my adult life.  I grew.  My kids grew in size, but more importantly, they grew in independence.  They learned how to fend for themselves and it made them stronger.  For example, they had to learn to make their own breakfasts because Mom was over in her chair studying for that Baroque Art exam.  Now, they are both pretty good in the kitchen.

Six years later, I am writing the first entry to my first blog.  I am not quite sure where this is going to take me, but I am hoping that it will be the catalyst that I have been looking for to push me on down the road toward that "life" that I know I need to develop.  My initial plans for this blog are to merge my art with my love of design, decorating and collections.  I am about to embark on a total re-do of my master bedroom and bath and I will use this blog to document the steps along the way. 

I named the blog "The Homeless Finch" because I own 4 pairs of a variety of finches and they occupy a small aviary in my studio.  They keep me company and entertain and sing to me every day.  Why homeless?  It denotes my need to rescue all that is homeless, whether it is the funny little treasures I find, purchase and fix or the creatures and people along the way whom I try and bring into my home and my life in a quest to help fix them.  Nothing is lost. Nothing should be homeless.  Everything is renewable.  At 46, I am going to renew myself too.

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Conclusion:

I have learned a ton in the last 6 months.  My photography has improved, but still needs a lot of work.  The technology learning curve and navigating Blogger issues has been a challenge that I haven't always welcomed, but has certainly taught me a lot.  I learned to always use a drop cloth, always.  I have made some really neat new friends and have charted a course to 'somewhere.'  I am not sure that I have found exactly what I was looking for yet.  But, as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.  I have completed some fabulous projects and for that...I am grateful.   

I am constantly working on what I want The Homeless Finch to be and have tried to stay true to myself.  I have seen a lot of bandwagon design and blogging ideas and have made an effort to avoid jumping into them.  It is important to me that The Homeless Finch is kept fresh, new and a reflection of my ideas, not others.  I hope you have enjoyed the ride and that you stay for the rest of the journey....wherever it will take us.....

-The End-