John James Audubon’s enormous book The Birds of America measures just over one metre tall but even this huge book still couldn’t fit a life size American flamingo within its pages and so we have the now famous image of his flamingo craning its neck awkwardly towards a pool of water. Not the most flattering pose for the flamingo but a clever way for Audubon to fit it into the book.

Similarly I have felt challenged by the height of the flamingo in previous paintings and in this one I’ve followed Audubon’s lead and have the three flamingos posed with their heads down towards each other.

I wanted this painting to be full of colour and light, a joyous celebration, a party that everyone wanted to be invited to. A party to celebrate Springtime. These three flamingos reference Botticelli’s Three Graces in his epic painting, “Primavera” created between the late 1470’s/ early 1480’s. It’s a fortunate thing that the painting survived the Florentine Bonfire of the Vanities of

1497.

Perhaps a modern day “bonfire” is almost upon us as we begin to reject extreme material consumption in favour of creating a more simple life without all the vanities forced upon us. Perhaps it’s time for a Spring clean and a return to Botticelli’s garden of natural abundance, a place of grace and hope. Perhaps we can bring a book, just a small one, and be transported to a Primavera of our own imagining.