The Swallow

Amy Izat

This image shows a detailed hyper-realistic drawing of a swallow in flight.

Inspiration behind the artwork

As April approaches and the earth tilts us away from winter into spring, my morning walks are no longer greeted with the same brown, dark shades that the long winter offers us, nor the icy frosts and bitterly cold winds that slam against your skin as you walk on your path, nor the empty skies that mimic the feeling of uncertainty a long winter brings. This stillness of life becomes more alive once again and the darkness becomes a little lighter. Things are waking up and life can begin again. The blossom makes its first appearance amongst the browns and greys of the hedgerows, despite how violently they were battered by the harsh winds and temperatures of the winter months that we experience in Northumberland. The warmer skies are filling up with the sweet melodies the swallow brings with it after the long and dangerous journey from Africa they make every year, always returning back home to where they hatched from an egg. This is one of the longest journeys made by any living creature on earth, with the swallows travelling up to 6,000 miles across land and sea to reach the safety of their birthplace. This small, determined bird that forges paths through even the most northerly and beastly breezes symbolises the journey I have made over the last seven years. It is this determination and my focus on coming home again that has carried me here today. No matter how harsh the winter, how strong the winds blew, how much the frost damaged the vegetation, new life appeared again, and so I must go on.

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Goldfinches

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The Swallow 2