Magnolia warblers don't actually like magnolia trees very much. They like pine trees. They're called magnolia warblers because once upon a time, one alighted on a magnolia tree, probably while looking around for a nice pine, and at that moment, was "collected" for the first time, which probably means that somebody shot it.

Amateur but enthusiastic birder that I am, I saw a magnolia warbler for the first time in Tennessee a week ago. I did not shoot it. I did, however, portray it with magnolias, because let's face it, magnolia is way more fun to paint than pine. Damnit, Jim, I'm an artist, not a biologist!

Warblers at the moment--it's early fall--are getting out of breeding plumage, in what's known as the "confusing fall warbler" stage, when they assume a kind of motheaten transvestite look. So the specimen I saw was significantly drabber than this, but I took some liberties.

I had wanted to draw one, to celebrate seeing it, and then I had this wild urge to do some sort of collage, and...well...here we are. I get collage urges once in a blue moon, and I fear them, because collage, like good abstract art, is really hard to do well and apallingly easy to do badly. And this is what came out. The reciept was just lying around, the newspaper clipping is about two comedians crashing an auction of Hitler's watercolors. Anyone who wants to find deep symbolism in that is welcome to try, provided they bring enough for the whole class.

The text at the bottom right is the scientific name. At the bottom left, it says "Birder? I hardly know 'er!" because I have a very sophmoric sense of humor.

Original is 10 x 15, acrylic ink, gel, colored pencil and "found objects" (i.e. random stuff I ripped up and glued to it.) It is for sale! Send a note or visit [link] for details. Prints are also available, for $10 and $20 plus shipping. Send a note or visit [link] for details!