Oil, acrylic and gold leaf on wood, 12x12x2cm.
On this small gilded panel, the Flame Robin rises like a living ember—its fire-bright chest glowing against the coolness of its charcoal wings. Painted in the language of religious iconography, the bird is given a quiet sanctity, its halo not a mark of divinity but a recognition of its role as a keeper of fragile light in the natural world.
Flame Robins are native to southeastern Australia, where they flicker through open woodlands and mountain forests like sparks carried on the wind. Despite their brilliance, they are remarkably gentle, solitary birds, often appearing at the edges of forests after fire—symbols of resilience, renewal, and the delicate balance that holds ecosystems together.