NORTHERN FLICKER II
ACRYLICS ON CEDAR W/RED OAK FRAME
SUMMER 2023

     A birder’s paradise, the Skagit Valley is rich in avian life, and they provide endless viewing pleasure for locals and visitors alike.  Although I have many favorites among them, including majestic eagles and graceful swans, the birds I enjoy seeing the most are northern flickers. All woodpeckers are beautiful to see, but flickers are such big, spectacular birds, they can’t go unnoticed.  The design for the flicker was inspired by both Northwest Coast Native and Celtic art traditions.  In homage to the Japanese Rinpa School, I used tarashikomi, the “dripping in” effect, for the tree by allowing wet paint to diffuse over the design.  I made the frame for this painting out of red oak using pegged, hand-joined, mortise-and-tenon construction methods.   I used the Japanese technique (shou-sugi-ban) of charring and oiling the oak to finish the frame.  I specifically made this painting for the Matzke Gallery’s “Honey, I Shrunk the Art” 2023 show.
 
DIMENSIONS:          HEIGHT:  11 inches
                                  WIDTH:  8 ½ inches

                                                         PRICE $250


​​Gary Giovane
La Conner, WA
gioart13@yahoo.com