The magic colors of sex

"Breeding Goldfinch," 5 x 7 140 lb. cold press paper

The vivid color of the bird in our backyard last week first made me think it was a new one.

But no, it was "just" a male goldfinch, nothing like the ones we'd had on our feeder earlier this year, I confirmed by looking up in our bird book.

Those were gold, yes, and pretty, but the colors were muted some.

What made the difference? 

It, and today there were at least seven or eight fluttering through the yard to the feeder and the bird bath, an explosion of the brightest lemon yellow I'd ever seen.

It's the breeding season for goldfinches, later than most birds, the book explained, and that's when the males turn brilliant.

It's the magic color of sex, in other words. The magic and excitement of biologic survival embodied in color. Seems to me that's a metaphor for the miracle of continuing life, of the magic and excitement of sex.

We need magic and color more than ever as vaccines in this pandemic pandemonium, and my recent watercolors have tried to provide some. 

So today's painting, part of my "magic" series, one of our little friends in the back yard, reminding us of the beauty of the essence of life.