32/52 Bird a week - Happiness

For this week's bird, I made two bluebirds of happiness. 

They are made from color anodized aluminum.

They are very friendly and when they get together, they tend to chat quite a lot.  Luckily when you wear them as earrings, there is a little separation so they are quieter! 

We've had two batches of bluebirds nesting in our boxes this summer and both have yielded a few babies.

They don't look very blue yet, but then, I guess they need feathers to look blue!

They are useful birds to have in the vineyard - not just because they bring happiness (!), but also because they eat insects and thus keep the insect population down on the vines.

 

Take a look at the other birds that people have created as part of the bird a week challenge. The links are below:

Jump for Joy!

Here's a new silver birdie that I've just finished which was inspired from my cartooning class.  He's called "Jump for Joy!"

In my class we were looking at expressions and all my drawings of birds had open beaks as it's difficult to show expression on a shut beak.  But I'd never done an open beak in metal clay before - so why not give it a try?

Add to that that my cartooning teacher is always trying to get me to create wings that look more feathery or at least fingerly and thus we got an open beak and open wings to show off his finger feathers.

Yes - there also seems to be an element of surprise in the little guy - so I think someone or somebird has just told him some wonderful news. What do you think?  I'm off to my cartooning class this afternoon so I'll take him along and see what my teacher thinks!

And for all you Joy's out there - how great that people will jump for you!