This piece has a few different interpretations which flow through it simultaneously.

On one level it is a celebration of music. The pelican stands on a drum holding her wings up like an symphony conductor about to begin a concert. The collage elements I chose include several vignettes which express a love of music/singing/dancing.

It can also be interpreted as the joy of the unexpected. It’s a moment where you’ve happened upon a drum washed ashore, somehow still intact and still playable. A pelican has landed on it and the moment seems so unlikely and whimsical that it fills you with a beautiful kind of happiness which is even more special because of the complete unexpectedness of it all.

Lastly, although the pelican is the primary subject in this piece, the drum holds a lot of weight as well. We ascribe a lot of wonder to things we come across while we comb the beach. Where did it come from? How long was it out at sea? It holds a story, and we love to imagine it’s a story that’s both romantic and miraculous. So, the drum becomes a metaphor for the viewer – because we all have a story to be told. We are all lost and then found – having traveled through our own version of life’s heartaches and treacheries but we yet survived. And we should celebrate that. The pelican sees this and becomes a willing participant. She swoops in and is ready to lead the whole beach in song. We found this drum and we don’t know where it’s from, but it’s a miracle and let’s be happy and let’s sing about it.

The piece is 40” x 30” and was created with acrylic paint and collage on canvas. Please be aware of my note about shipping on the Original Artwork main page.