I felt incredibly fortunate to be invited out to create a piece, titled Painted Bunting Year, for The Wall Show at Something Cool Studios, as part of Looking Up Mural Fest.
In 2021, one of the folks I’d met through working the Austin Witches’ Markets posted a story where they’d seen the elusive painted bunting. I talked to them about where I might be able to see one because I’d been searching for years, but didn’t know they showed up in Austin. After talking for a bit, they said something to me along the lines of having a feeling 2022 would be my “painted bunting year.”
With that in mind, I created a scrap aerosol can series in January focused on birds and plants. As an object of intent, one of the cans featured the painted bunting among mesquite. Then, on Earth day, I caught a flash of color out of my studio window and looked out to see, there, perched on our AC drain hose, a beautiful, teenier-than-expected painted bunting. He visited our backyard the three days following. When we took my birthday camping trip a week later, we shared our campsite with another little painted bunting couple. After that, they must have moved on because I hadn’t seen any since.
When I was thinking about the Looking Up Mural Fest, I thought a bird would be a natural fit. And who better than the colorful painted bunting? This 4’x4′ piece was painted in 2.5 hours using aerosol paints.
This piece is available for your collection. Serious inquiries email hi[at]samsoper.art.