This little painting was inspired and composed to celebrate my dear Mom’s 90th Birthday, May 25, 2012. Knowing how Mom loves birds and gardens, it seemed the perfect combination. I love how Roger Tory Peterson famously described the male Purple Finch warbler as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.” What a compelling, delicious, artistic description of this lovely little bird, and so I just had to include it into this whimsical piece. Purple Finches have large, seed-cracking beaks, and they seem to like black oil sunflower seeds best. They also eat many different berries and some insects, including aphids, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles. The male has 3 songs or calls while the female has 2 different songs. When choosing a verse for this painting I was thinking of all the beauty that surrounds us on this earth that lifts our hearts in spite of the many sad or ugly things that cross our paths in our journey through this life. It also takes our thoughts forward into the heavenly realm and the joy of God’s dwelling place where we too can forever dwell with the Lord Himself and all that He has prepared for us. This amazing comfort and hope is offered to all, as a gift. (John 3:16) Please enjoy, Blessings, Jan. Copyright by Jan Howlett-May 2012