Birdy and other Fellows

During the years I have been monitoring birds in nature, by the sea at Raumanmeri (near the town of Rauma in Finland) where I was born and spent my childhood. There my hubby and I - and occasionally our adult children with their families - spend the rare but precious, glorious, bright summer days. And yes, there are birds; lots of them. In spring they fill the air and scenery. Swans are many. They are beautiful and easy to take pics of - even with my camera which hasn´t got any huge zoom.

In Finnish mythology swan is a bird of underworld. Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, found swans very special. He had seen plenty of swans by the Tuusula lake where he walked every day near his house. Those swans ended up to the finale of the 5th synphony.

On the 21st April Sibelius saw sixteen swans. In his diary he immediately wrote a magnificent thematic sequence, which ended up in the finale of the fifth symphony. "One of the great experiences of my life! God, how beautiful," he wrote in his diary. ( http://www.sibelius.fi/english/musiikki/ork_sinf_05.htm )

During the past years I have been photographing birds of Raumanmeri to remember those wonderful moments and views by the sea, to rememberf the feeling of freedom, presence and beauty of life. At times birds pop into my artwork. In my art birds symbolize freedom and fragility.

The images above are examples of my photographies and some "birdy" art works of recent years.

I will never give up longing.

I will let my hair stay long.

The rain proclaims these trees,

the trees tell of the sun.

Let birds, let birds.

Let leaf be passion.

Let jaw, let teeth, let tongue be

between us. Let joy.

–from "Let Birds" by Linda Gregg

The host of this week´s AC ( Art Challenge ) is Eric, see the works/blogs of the other participants via his colorful blog CERULEAN.