This original painting on linen by Corinne Lewis impresses with its clarity and movement and shows an elegant woman in a blue dress playing with a bird in her hand. For decades, the intelligence of birds has been greatly underestimated and they have been thought of as “easy pets.” However, recent ornithological studies have shed light on just how intelligent birds actually are. Some species of birds even rival humans in certain aspects of intelligence and social skills. These findings challenge the way we as humans have been keeping pet birds in captivity and it provides insight into how we can become more supportive and ethical bird owners in the future.
For Corinne, the focus rests on the intimate bond between highly trained birds and dedicated humans. Eschewing traditional portraiture, the females in Corinne’s paintings are anonymous. Sumptuous garments emulate the vivid plumage of the birds they hold. The exotic bird denotes the feminine, the intuitive, and the multi-hued resonance that is nature itself.