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Arizona Cactus Wren

©A.K.SIMON - Arizona Cactus Wren - 8"x8" oil on linen

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Today's Quote: Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.

                                                              Rabindranath Tagore

It can't get better than today (well maybe it could a little - maybe some weight loss!). Started this painting in the AM, got pampered with a nice hair salon visit mid morning, dinner with a friend at the casino and walked away a winner! Got home at 9:30 PM to finish this painting and now I'm posting at 11:30 PM. What a full and productive day and I have to say that it probably wouldn't have been if it wasn't for Leslie Saeta (AKA Wonder Woman) pushing us all the time to keep pushing ourselves.

I've never painted birds and I have to say I love this little wren. Fluffy and robust in the sun. I did see these when I was in Sedona. Just how do they balance on those cactus needles? 

Just a little side story about cactus needles. My husband was hiking in Nevada and just barely pricked his finger on a cactus as he moved past it. The next day the finger was swollen twice the size and did not bend. Allergic reaction beyond belief! My moral to this story, humans are not welcome in the desert.

Here's some info about the Cactus Wren: 

Arizona's state bird, the Cactus Wren is seven to eight inches long and likes to build nests in the protection of thorny desert plants like the arms of the giant saguaro cactus.

It builds many nests but lives in only one. The rest are decoys.

Arizona adopted the cactus wren as its state bird in 1973.

The Arizona state bird, the Cactus Wren, was a bird not known to Audubon in his time, and was therefore not included in the 1840 edition of Birds of America. http://www.50states.com/bird/cactus.htm#.VAfdjmSwIug