Goldfinch

Amy Izat

This image shows a detailed hyper-realistic drawing of a goldfinch perched on a branch, facing left. The left and lower side of the goldfinch’s body have been erased to represent the area of her vision that Amy no longer sees when she looks directly into the bird’s eye. In this area there is a faint impression of the original drawing.

Inspiration behind the artwork

The moans of patients in discomfort, the bleeping of machines, the rolling of the nurses’ trolley wheels and the constant stream of the same monotonous noises left me feeling so far from this world, that I would imagine birds dancing and singing outside, beyond the hospital walls, past the noise of sirens and ongoing traffic that you can’t stop listening to in a city. My imagination took me across rivers, fields and 

villages until I arrived home at my parents’ farm in quiet Northumberland. There, the goldfinches danced, presenting their flight patterns, which are characterized by dips and rises. Patterns the males use to land a mate. With their black and vibrant yellow plumage, sometimes accompanied by a patch of red feathers atop their heads, goldfinches are believed to bring luck and recovery to the sick. It was this luck and recovery I prayed for over and over again. It was imagining these little birds dancing that not only illustrated the beauty in life that there is to fight for, but also the love of family, friends, and the harmony these small birds bring to this world, all of which are known to be life’s greatest prizes.

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Goldfinches