Oil, acrylic and rose gold leaf on wood, 14x14x2cm Contact us at info@louisemcnaught.com for purchase enquiries 
This intimate octagonal panel depicts a firecrest — one of Europe’s smallest birds — elevated here as a Kinglet, a symbol of quiet sovereignty and inner authority. Despite its diminutive scale, the firecrest has long been associated with the ancient folktale of the King of Birds, in which the smallest creature rises above all others not through strength, but through ingenuity, spirit, and timing. In this work, the bird becomes an emblem of overlooked power: the reminder that greatness is not measured by size, volume, or dominance.
The burning orange-gold crest — from which the firecrest takes its name — is rendered as a living flame, representing consciousness, vigilance, and the spark of divinity. It echoes the crown hovering above the bird’s head: a subtle, ephemeral coronation, painted not as a physical object but as light itself. This crown does not weigh upon the bird; it floats, suggesting sovereignty that is innate rather than imposed — authority earned through being, not ruling.
The octagonal format is deliberate. Traditionally associated with thresholds, rebirth, and the space between the earthly and the eternal, the octagon acts as a symbolic portal. The bird perches at this liminal edge, suspended between worlds — nature and myth, fragility and power, the seen and the unseen.