"Darwin's Finches"
by Joie Villeneuve

This painting is about Darwin's theory of evolution. Each bird in the painting depicts the 13 birds Darwin studied to come to this theory.

Currently on display for sale at Meeka Restaurante Subiaco

Contact Interactive Arts for a viewing location

$5,000

Joie Villeneuve
Artist statement Everywhere I travel I find myself being imbued with a fascination for the birds and flora of that area. I find that it is the flora and avifauna (birds) that seem to colour my experience of a region and give me a new sense of place. These recent paintings are stories about the places I’ve explored. Some of the stories are real experiences, some are scientifically factual, others are anecdotes I learned along the way, and some are whispers given to me in that quiet moment when I found myself alone and all I could hear was a beautiful song. As the personalities and spirit of the birds emerged from the canvas some words soon followed. The use of words for me was like adding another colour or shape to the canvas. Some of the words came from the reading I do of field guides, the poetry of Rumi and inspiration from poet, Mary Oliver. Words like images lead the eye and guide the soul. One art critic described Joie’s work as: “Full of character, . . . more

Joie Villeneuve