Loud Pipes

In the New Year​​​​​​​​​​​​​ is a song by the Walkmen. 

 It's not a part of anyone's playlist. I mention it only because, well...it is the new year.

I hope it's been a good one so far.

New year. New playlist(s).

My friend Kat(e)harine's playlist is called "Loud Pipes", which is a song by Ratatat. 

I love that song. And I love this song, the song I chose to go all decor on: "I Like Birds" - The Eels 

I started off Kate's playlist with the brown-hooded Kingfisher, one of the many types of Kingfishers we see, sitting on the telephone wires along the Bitou river, on which we live (www.bitou.co.za). Striking birds, with an unusual sense of beauty, much like Kate herself.

I then got desperate for intense colour in birds. I chose one green bird because there is only one real green pigment out there for birds (the rest of the greens you see are the combination of different pigments and the trick of the light). 

This pigment is called turacoverdin, and is found in turacos (family Musophagiformes) only native to the Garden Route, South Africa. The particular species to which I am referring is the Knysna Turaco, formerly known as the Knysna Lourie.

We have some residing in our gardens, and they are really stunning to watch in flight. Anyway, they also have a dark blue pigment on their backs which inspired the colour of the second bird.

Then comes an amazing poem:

“to paint the portrait of a bird”

jacques prevert

First paint a cage

with an open door

then paint

something pretty

something simple

something beautiful

something useful

for the bird

then place the canvas against a tree

in a garden

in a wood

or in a forest

hide behind the tree

without speaking

without moving …

Sometimes the bird comes quickly

but he can just as well spend long years

before deciding

Don’t get discouraged

wait

wait years if necessary

the swiftness or slowness of the coming

of the bird having no rapport

with the success of the picture

When the bird comes

if he comes

observe the most profound silence

wait till the bird enters the cage

and when he has entered

gently close the door with a brush

then

paint out all the bars one by one

taking care not to touch any of the feathers of the bird

Then paint the portrait of the tree

choosing the most beautiful of its branches

for the bird

paint also the green foliage and the wind’s freshness

the dust of the sun

and the noise of insects in the summer heat

and then wait for the bird to decide to sing

If the bird doesn’t sing

it’s a bad sign

a sign that the painting is bad

but if he sings it’s a good sign

a sign that you can sign

so then so gently you pull out

one of the feathers of the bird

and you write your name in a corner of the picture

After my weird African-patterns-take-over-what-was-once-a-bird-drawing drawing, then comes my evilness.

I drew a KFC Sprinkles Fruit Chutney Sachet. I tore it open, copied the packaging, and arranged the sprinkles in the shape of a bird.

The next disturbing thought was obviously a little girl who has just finished her meal of bird, and is hungry for more.

And of course, to thank KFC for their contribution to the poll of chicken deaths, their slogan: "It's finger lickin' good!"

Love you, Kate.