Black-capped Chickadee by Amy Jean Porter
10"x8" ($24) | 14"x11" ($60) | 20"x16" ($240) | 30"x24" ($1200)
Amy Jean Porter is a 20x200 veteran whose work we keep returning to for a million reasons, but one of the major factors in our fixation is the artist’s idiosyncratic approach to the animal kingdom. Bright, unexpected, eye-catching and emotive, her illustrations never fall short on the joy-generating front. Today’s new release, Black-capped Chickadee, is no exception.
A fair amount of local avian life routinely hangs out along New York City’s High Line. While you’re more likely to catch sight of a starling or house sparrow, black-capped chickadees in particular make Porter think of NYC. The friendly little birds “are curious and social and constantly cheeping out their whereabouts,” the artist explains. “They also have the nerve to eat seeds right out of your hand.” Sounds like your typical tenacious, extroverted, nimble New Yorker.
These birds may seem springlike, but the berries on black cherry trees are definitively fall—further proof that our winged subjects can be spectacularly seasonless. Porter has drawn more than a thousand animals for her series All the Species, All the Time, but she first began drawing birds in 2001 from her basement apartment in Brooklyn. She’s especially fond of the feathered creatures for their mood-boosting benefits.
We can’t blame her. There’s something about seeing birds flitting about in the urban jungle, the flicker of wings between skyscrapers, birdsong ringing out with fleeting clarity amid the clamor of subways and car horns. It’s a brief breath of fresh air. Put this print on your walls and it’ll cheer you right up all year long (even if your home base has a higher nature quotient than good old Gotham). Porter's spin on flora and fauna never fails to cheer up any interior.
With Earth Day coming up this weekend, we’re in the mood for more Mother Earth in our art. Which reminds us of another mother you may want to consider this time of year—your mama! If you’ve got a mom, Mother’s Day is a few weeks away and Porter’s Black-capped Chickadee would make a sweet tweet. This print looks particularly fly presented with extra spiff in one of our handcrafted custom frames. Just be sure to get your order in by midnight on 4/24 to ensure delivery in time for Mother’s Day.
With art for everyone,
Jen Bekman + Team 20x200
P.S. Learn more about AJP’s artistic process in our In the Studio interview!
