Free the Songbird

by Elizabeth Myers Castonguay

“I have spent a lifetime observing, researching, and making artwork about my passions: human diversity and the preservation of Mother Nature. Something as small as a fruit fly, a human head, or a winter landscape seen from the train as I travel between my studios in Pittsburgh and NYC can inspire a large painting. I find joy in learning that the tiny eyelashes on some birds are modified feathers, the fruit fly has many body parts like our own, the bird’s nest in the yard holds fast in winds though porch furniture is in flight, and the shape of the human nose provides climate control and has adapted over generations.

For the past fifteen years, I have created paintings that unite these passions. During this time, the number of endangered species has risen from 40,000 to over one million. The paintings often depict humanity monochromatically with the endangered species in full color because they are critically important to the fine balance of nature. All living beings are complex and sentient as scientists continue to discover. Colors are frequently placed next to their complement to show the strength of opposites while colorful grids represent images of DNA common to all life forms. Mother Nature is also used as a metaphor for women since many find themselves in situations of endangerment globally. With the planet suffering from climate change, deforestation, overfishing, pollution, poaching, and war, we must remedy what we have created through global partnership and individual commitment. I hope the viewer will internalize, reflect, and see the world that we have created. Within the work there is urgency but also an element of hope because we can all engage in the stewardship of Mother Nature while also respecting others of our own species.”