14”x11” encaustic on panel
I've been researching the different bird species before painting them, and I was interested to learn that American goldfinches have a symbiotic relationship with thistle plants, relying heavily on thistle for both their primary diet and nesting material. Goldfinches' sharp, cone-shaped beaks are perfectly adapted for plucking tiny seeds directly from the spiky flower heads of native thistles. And goldfinches are among the latest-nesting songbirds, waiting to build their nests until late summer, when thistles go to seed. Goldfinches line their nests with the white, downy fluff that surrounds ripe thistle seeds. So, when designing this painting, aside from loving the color combo of the thistle plants and the goldfinch, I was honoring the special relationship between the two.
14”x11” encaustic on panel
I've been researching the different bird species before painting them, and I was interested to learn that American goldfinches have a symbiotic relationship with thistle plants, relying heavily on thistle for both their primary diet and nesting material. Goldfinches' sharp, cone-shaped beaks are perfectly adapted for plucking tiny seeds directly from the spiky flower heads of native thistles. And goldfinches are among the latest-nesting songbirds, waiting to build their nests until late summer, when thistles go to seed. Goldfinches line their nests with the white, downy fluff that surrounds ripe thistle seeds. So, when designing this painting, aside from loving the color combo of the thistle plants and the goldfinch, I was honoring the special relationship between the two.