‘Oil on feathers’: beautifully oil painted birds infused with detailed classic paintings by Carolynda MacDonald

Exploring thematics such as dreams, freedom, and self-expression, German artist Carolynda MacDonald paints surrealistic pictures of birds, using their plumage as canvases for classic oil paintings, and patterns/textures of porcelain, fabrics, and tattoos.

As mythological creatures, dragons fly in the imagination, inhabiting the dreams of writers, artists, readers and viewers alike. My paintings occupy an analogous realm, operating in a space reminiscent of daydreams or areas of quietude within the mind. I endeavour to bring together both landscape and still life painting in ways not normally encountered. For me, it is exciting to employ a Chagall-like freedom to place anything anywhere and find a way to make sense of it all. In an increasingly busy and confusing world, I feel it is important to find solace for the soul, whether it is in art, music or literature, and these works are my contribution. (…) Birds in particular, and occasionally animals, rouse the scene by actively engaging with the still life, but not in a way one would expect. Rather than pecking at fruit, the birds in Under The Wings of a Dream are shown to be either bringing or removing jewels. Thus, as these birds act in an unusual manner, we are reminded of the painting’s state of reverie. The most recent works are imbued with an other-worldliness as the birds’ plumage takes on the patterns and textures of porcelain, fabric or even tattoos. In these parallel worlds, such as in Theatre of Forbidden Dreams, the creatures for me celebrate a freedom to express themselves beyond the frontier of reality. They speak to me of secret desires by means of a mysterious language, revealing fragments of an inner and subconscious realm. Perhaps too, the birds symbolise the often transient nature of inspiration and the ideas which come to roost in the mind.

Carolynda MacDonald

More info: WebsiteArtsyInstagram (h/t: Hi-Fructose).

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Leandro Lima
Leandro Limahttps://visualflood.com
CEO-founder of Visualflood. A Brazilian fine art photographer, among other things, who loves visual arts, nature, science, and innovative technologies. You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

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