Safe Haven

Carolynda Macdonald "A theme began to emerge in this body of work as I considered the paintings to be ornithological studies from a lost world. In ‘Sanctum’ I have explored the private realm of thoughts and feelings of the human condition: love and hidden desires, inner turmoil and vulnerability, motherhood and protectiveness.

Ever since a tiny bird landed on my outstretched hand as a small girl, the thrill of that engendered trust from a wild creature has stayed with me. Birds in my paintings have become vehicles for my subconscious to play and facilitate self-expression.

Each painting starts with the bird making eye contact, and as I paint that eye and head, a conversation strikes up. Looking through the work of old masters, one will resonate with me and if a detail fits on the bird, I will fuse the two together. This embellished bird will then tell me what kind of place it would like to be in: a backdrop for its stage, most often a remote and tranquil landscape imbued with an end-of-day light.

I invite you step in to these gardens of solace, to explore and encounter these magical creatures in their natural domain, their sanctum."

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