{"id":10431,"title":"Birds Can Fly: Hearing from the Winners","description":"Hearing from the winners of my Second Birds Can Fly Competition and reflecting on the impact of this new body of work.","content":"<p><br \/><\/p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/45j_UHYl7Ow\/?modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;vq=highres\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><p><\/p><p><em>Above: Part of Charlie's prize was the chance to select a bird for me to draw, he chose the Helmeted Guineafowl, shown with all the birds I've gently referenced since last year. Charlie receives the original drawing, a copy of <a href=\"https:\/\/thepansyproject.com\/pansy-boy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pansy Boy<\/a> and an item of clothing from the Birds Can Fly <a href=\"https:\/\/birds-can-fly.teemill.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">range.<\/a> A print of the drawing is available <a href=\"https:\/\/thepansyproject.myshopify.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/helmeted-guineafowl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here.<\/a> Below: The Gallery of the Birds Can Fly Competition Two entries.<\/em><\/p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8rCFQzFe-rE\/?modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;vq=highres\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><p><strong>At the beginning of March 2020<\/strong> I was preparing a year of projects that continued to delve into the impact that homophobia has on our culture, with The Pansy Project. As March progressed and projects were cancelled I, like so many, was forced to reassess the year ahead.\u00a0I recall talking to my sister about what I could possibly do. As I gazed over a quietening London skyline, I remember saying \u201cI\u2019m not sure what I\u2019m going to do, but I think it might be something to do with birds\u201d. In the last year I have created a project that explores the solace, comfort and wonder of the avian world. For me what has become Birds Can Fly reached it\u2019s peak when Chris Packham announced the winner of my second Birds Can Fly competition on his Self Isolating Bird Club Broadcast, a transmission I had been a part of throughout the year with my bird illustrations and \u2018gentle references\u2019. As I sat watching, in the same space where the idea emerged, I was amazed at what I\u2019d achieved.\u00a0<img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/9oku9u1fv1qfwb0lzftjsozw1qgz4arnbpjbtqghbcvb31h2.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"73169658\" \/><br \/>I began drawing birds on request in early April and \u2018gently referencing\u2019 these drawings to promote a print shop in May. The focus on a new body of work eased my anxiety and distracted me from the fear of an uncertain future.\u00a0<\/p><p>I spent day after day in the summer of 2020 studying and researching every bird I drew, examining illustrations and\u00a0 photographs and watching videos of their movements, attempting to glean the bird\u2019s personality for my drawing. I would then colour the bird digitally and create a solo bird print. The next step would be the \u2018gentle reference\u2019. I study the plumage of the bird, it\u2019s key features and deportment, the most noticeable and beautiful attributes. Then I bury myself in my wardrobe to discover similar colours and patterns. From herring-bone to pin-stripe, from fake fur to knitwear each look attempts to capture the essence of the bird I\u2019ve drawn.<\/p><p>As this way of working developed I realised I was submerging myself into the nature of the bird. The wonder, joy and emotion of attempting to capture the essence of the bird was so intuitive and heartfelt, it would often bring me to tears. My expression capturing the subtle grin of the Kookaburra, the elegiac Lapwing captured in my far off gaze, inexplicably worked.\u00a0<\/p><p>As the collection grew others began to refer to my work, the RSPB acknowledged me in a challenge they set. Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin \u2018gently referenced\u2019 their favourite bird when they interviewed me for their broadcast. It seemed that this way of engaging with ornithology was an innovative way of exploring bird life. I adored the queerness of the act, I often wore make-up and the fashion looks embraced colour and flamboyance in a way outside of the heteronormative \u2018norm\u2019. My celebration of bird life as a queer man was engaging new audiences.<\/p><p><strong>When I hosted the first Birds Can Fly competition<\/strong> I was astounded by the number of participants, children just \u2018got it\u2019, dressing up as a child is second nature, they are in the early stages of being indoctrinated into the stereotypes of gender expression and as a result are free to play and embrace the absurdity of the act.<img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/vnpuwbnbszspgekc7jyvh99yjaecysvupsuq5fwx5udmedcq.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"73133124\" \/>Elsi (Above) was the winner of the first Birds Can Fly competition, I absolutely adored her use of bananas to reference the crest of the Spinifex Pigeon she drew so beautifully. When the winner was announced adults began to express regret that they could not enter. I wasn\u2019t sure there would be enough adults with a similar interest, so I launched a second competition that was open to all ages. I expected a handful of adults to take the plunge, though I was amazed by their willingness to enter the world of Birds Can Fly.<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/jvjrzy2ciuvcilodjy2v71gkxdk4jlkwxvo7inuywkalshef.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&amp;h=auto\" alt=\"\" title=\"73125293\" \/>Perhaps the most striking and emotional result of the second Birds Can Fly competition was the fact that families joined in together. Mums and daughters, fathers and sons were drawing and then dressing up together. When Charlie and his family entered I was moved to tears (again), I could tell that they worked as a family and observed in awe that my work had inspired a day of fun. There were so many amazing entries, but Charlie\u2019s was just as good as one of my own. Shortly after Charlie won, I asked if he\u2019d mind sharing some of his thoughts on entering the competition to discover the impact Birds Can Fly could potentially have for others in the future, here\u2019s what he said:<\/p><blockquote><p>Charlie: It is hard to describe what a truly lovely moment it was to realise that my entry had won. We were bouncing off the walls afterwards and went to bed beaming with joy. The whole last unbelievable year has been a journey that has coincided perfectly with the Self Isolating Bird Club.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote><p>Paul: How did you select your bird?<\/p><blockquote><p>Charlie: We have a great Encyclopaedia of Animals, with loads of birds from round the world. I think when we spotted the Ornate Hawk Eagle we just immediately thought it looked a bit like me. The potential for the handlebar moustache was immediately obvious, and the ridiculous hairstyle. It's not actually a bird that I was familiar with before drawing it.<\/p><\/blockquote><p>Paul: What was it like exploring the bird you selected through the drawing and 'gentle reference', was there anything that surprised you about the experience?<\/p><blockquote><p>Charlie: In the context of this year and this moment, it was so good to simply do something for myself, and to explore that bird through mark making and enjoy the creative process. It was interesting to look at your \u2018gentle references\u2019 to notice your approach in more detail.<\/p><\/blockquote><p>Paul: You entered as a family, what impact did that have on you all?<\/p><blockquote><p>Charlie: It was a family event, all of us getting ready together. We cleared the living room floor and set up a lamp. It was a welcome escape from the repetitiveness of remote learning. With everyone stuck indoors more and little room for creativity and play, it was joyful therapy. It coincided with the RSPB Garden Birdwatch, so the kids had been looking at pictures of birds and comparing them to the ones in our garden as we sat by the windowsill. As we counted the birds, we talked about protecting them and how their generation would be one that would turn it round and make bird numbers start to go back up.\u00a0<\/p><p>What you do with the \u2018gentle references\u2019 is really playful and most children innately connect with that and understand what to do. Gretel chose her favourite bird, a blackbird. Tolly got out the garden birds diagram from the Big Birdwatch and chose a starling, and we looked at more pictures online to get an idea of the iridescence and so on. The children drew their pictures first. Both of them picked out their own outfits individually and they already knew how they wanted their make-up and hair. Gretel captured the solitary seriousness of a blackbird, and Tolly embodied the magical wild freedom of a starling. And of course Vicky found the soft, regal elegance of a Victoria Crowned Pigeon. It was fun and creative and it felt good to be able to show this to the school as an alternative activity, which brought us together as a family.<\/p><\/blockquote><p>This was a joy to read and was reflected in many of the comments I received from the other participants. Another unexpected twist was that for the second competition I just had to reward Scarlett\u2019s entry. Both mother and daughter entered, and both were lovely but something about Scarlett\u2019s image was truly breathtaking. I asked Scarlett\u2019s mum (Clare) to ask her some questions about her experience of entering.\u00a0<\/p><blockquote><p>Scarlett: \u201cI really know what a Roller looks like now, their vibrant and colourful feathering. Dressing up was quite exciting. I loved the photo shoot. I got to choose lots of styles based on my bird.\u201d<\/p><p>Clare: \u201cI really loved having to take a closer look at the Arctic Tern, looking at many images to really get the anatomy and where the plumage changed.\u00a0 There is something about taking the observation of a bird that bit further than just looking, and onto a piece of paper with pen and colour that provides another level of information or knowledge about the subject. The \u2018gentle reference\u2019 also required a different frame of mind, to dress and hold one\u2019s body to mimic the very essence of a bird, to be caught in one photo.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><p><em>Below: Revealing the winner of the first Birds Can Fly Competition and also features a workshop.<\/em><\/p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lKIsvpCjF-0\/?modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;vq=highres\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><p>As I continue working to develop and evolve this blog and Birds Can Fly in general, I'm considering how to continue to delve into this body of work and continue to inspire ornithologists, whatever their age. Please do come back for more posts and news of more illustrations, prints and garments from Birds Can Fly.<\/p>","urlTitle":"reflecting-on-the-birds-can-fly-competition","url":"\/blog\/reflecting-on-the-birds-can-fly-competition\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/reflecting-on-the-birds-can-fly-competition\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/birdscanflystore.com\/blog\/reflecting-on-the-birds-can-fly-competition\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1615297569,"updatedAt":1615368129,"publishedAt":1615368129,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":107566,"name":"Birds Can Fly"},"tags":[{"id":1113,"code":"birds-can-fly","name":"BirdsCanFly","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/birds-can-fly\/"},{"id":1114,"code":"art","name":"Art","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/art\/"},{"id":1115,"code":"birds","name":"Birds","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/birds\/"},{"id":1116,"code":"ornithology","name":"Ornithology","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/ornithology\/"},{"id":1117,"code":"l-g-b-t-q","name":"LGBTQ","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/l-g-b-t-q\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/4ssny9ukfh73kvpgeqxj8aclazu3iziv69lte62andyxlhqx.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/4ssny9ukfh73kvpgeqxj8aclazu3iziv69lte62andyxlhqx.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/4ssny9ukfh73kvpgeqxj8aclazu3iziv69lte62andyxlhqx.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"Birds Can Fly: Hearing from the Winners","metaDescription":"Hearing from the winners of my Second Birds Can Fly Competition and reflecting on the impact of this new body of work.","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":9889,"title":"LGBT History Month","url":"\/blog\/lgbt-history-month\/","urlTitle":"lgbt-history-month","division":107566,"description":"Paul Harfleet reflects on LGBT History Month 2021.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ekp1npewm3bbdgz5vh688egmi8wa75ayhuzytu5v3mmwofwu.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ekp1npewm3bbdgz5vh688egmi8wa75ayhuzytu5v3mmwofwu.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":9902,"title":"Stories Behind the Designs","url":"\/blog\/the-story-of-birds-can-fly\/","urlTitle":"the-story-of-birds-can-fly","division":107566,"description":"The journey from drawing to garment.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/logdy9wz68ihyajfcrhjcrncc3nxc9tms1c6yx9jculeotz6.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/logdy9wz68ihyajfcrhjcrncc3nxc9tms1c6yx9jculeotz6.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":12613,"title":"Manchester Made Me","url":"\/blog\/manchester-made-me\/","urlTitle":"manchester-made-me","division":107566,"description":"When I moved to Manchester thirty years ago it was a different place.  I lived there for twenty years and during that time I was a witness to the evolution of a city.  I left ten years ago and I know since then the evolution has continued at pace","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/9vt0cxzjpw9b4qgrwafgcot3nrrsu2a7i5fluumgjacugi0i.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/9vt0cxzjpw9b4qgrwafgcot3nrrsu2a7i5fluumgjacugi0i.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}