House Finch and Yucca by Robert Bateman

House Finch and Yucca by Robert Bateman

 

Published in 1984

 

"The house finch is an attractive little bird which has been spreading its range. It has even made it in fair numbers to eastern and western Canada. It is like a purple finch but slightly brighter and more delicate. If the purple finch is like a sparrow in burgundy, the house finch has been dipped in rose wine.

" I had two feelings or moods when doing this picture. One was related to the quality of the paintings of Georgia O'Keefe and the other was the ambiance of early Hollywood. The work of Georgia O'Keefe is dramatic and polished, often with modulated, clear blue skies. The Hollywood style of the twenties and thirties was Art Deco. It was also dramatic and polished almost to slickness. That is the mood I was striving for in my setting for the house finch." - R. Bateman