Lucky Girl’s Not So Lucky Bird

Her name is Stacey Maynard but she calls herself Lucky Girl. And rightly so. Maynard, unlike way too many people, is actually doing what she loves — creating art.

The high school art teacher working in a variety of media hails from Australia, but she’s celebrating her first solo exhibition, Artist Abroad, Thursday here in the US.

This Lucky Girl piece titled, “Taking a Stance,” is one of those that reminds us how easy (or is it lucky) it can be to stumble on a really intriguing piece in a funny little gallery from an artist you’ve never heard of, still finding her feet.

Something about these two little birds calls out. It is extremely stripped down and free of pretension or hesitation: It’s a painting of two birds.

But there’s much more to it. These two birds are clearly in conversation — the left one, angry and aggressive. You can see it in his eye, in his puffed out chest, and in his outstretched foot, inching toward the other bird. The bird on the right is scared — his stance tight and upright. The other bird has backed him into a corner, figuratively, and to the end of the branch, literally. Even his tail droops down like a dog’s between his legs.

Who knows what the problem is. One bird stole the other’s worm, girlfriend, nest. It doesn’t much matter. What does matter is that there is a conversation at all, in rough-hewn lines and raised feathers on the back of the right hand bird’s neck. So much attitude with such simple shapes and strokes.

One thing is certain: I would not want to be that little guy on the right.

See this one night only show this Thursday, October 27, from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at A Touch of Paris Art Gallery 202 W. Wall Street, Grapevine, TX.

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