#Birds of paradise

[feather-bone]

[ID: an illustration, digital painting over watercolor, of a bright blue bird with a purple throat patch. It’s perched on a branch on a leafy green background. End.]

Spangled cotinga! Colorful fella from the Amazon. This month I’m focusing on animals that hang out in the emergent layer of the rainforest, so expect lots of colorful feathers.

[alradeck]

Birds of Paradise! This was done as a charity card for the Seattle Children's hospital. Essentially you get the drawing from a child and you're asked to render it out without changing as much as you can. The only thing I added was legs and some tail feathers, I was very careful not to taint Eli's vision.

I got this card for answering an email quickly, lol. I happened to be at a show when the email asking for interested folks went out and answered it in a few minutes, haha. I adored the previous set they'd done like this and was beyond excited.

[simplified-birds]

Simplified bird #38 - twelve-wired bird-of-paradise

( requested by @bakageta )

[aubreyplazawife]

Birds of Paradise 2021

[tinylongwing]

Hey all, it's Portfolio Day! It never seems to be as big here on tumblr as everywhere else I post my work, but I'd love to see more folks posting some of their favorites to share with everyone now and then.

I'm Lauren, a biologist and scientific illustrator - I do a lot of birds and other natural subjects for publications such as research papers, reports, and outreach materials. But I've also done a handful of board games (most recently Birdwatcher, by Zakir Jafry) and when I find time in between I love to do fanart of my favorite characters!

My portfolio: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/

My shop (constantly under construction, let me know if you want prints of something and it isn't there yet!): https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/tinylongwing/

[atmiek]

[antiqueanimals]

Animal Coloration: An Account of the Principal Facts and Theories Relating to the Colors and Markings of Animals. Written by Frank E. Beddard. 1895.

Internet Archive

[psikonauti]

Birds of paradise

[hellsitegenetics]

Is there any reason for the Bird of Paradise flower specifically (at the end of your pinned post), or do you just really like the flower?

i just think it's particularly silly.

[greenthena]

Why we won't have an Apology Dance in S3--or, why I'm choosing to start WW3

Much as I love the Apology Dance, I have a hunch that neither Crowley nor Aziraphale will perform it in S3. It's such a weird (affectionate) little mating ritual, and I cannot see it without thinking of David Attenborough's "Birds of Paradise" clip from Our Planet. (The little fuckers really get going around the 2:30 mark, if you're interested.)

S2 demonstrates so many of these bizarre little mating rituals. Specifically, I'm thinking about the "Don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions" moment...

...I mean, Goddamn. Someone damn it. Aziraphale is about to climb that demon like a tree.

And the exchange about borrowing the Bentley...

...which is a battle lost before it's even begun because Aziraphale flashes those pretty eyes and Crowley's too smitten to really put up a fight.

Mah point is (dolphins). My point is that every aspect of their interaction, particularly in S2, is a dance, a courting practice, a mating ritual to which only these two weird (affectionate) little birds know the steps.

And the Apology Dance is one of the key steps in this ritual. We know how important it is because Aziraphale has memorized each year when he performed it for Crowley. 1650, 1793, 1941... And Crowley has now reciprocated. But for all the importance of the Apology Dance, we never hear an actual apology. The words, "I'm sorry" are never exchanged between the Ineffables.

Of course, Aziraphale has forgiven Crowley on multiple occasions (have a tissue), but the absolution is never in response to an apology.

Why does this matter, you ask? Because Crowley has never asked to be forgiven. It's one of his self-identifying traits.

And every time Aziraphale offers him forgiveness, it calls into question Crowley's whole identity. I think this is why Crowley initially refuses to do the dance. He doesn't "do the dance," because he doesn't apologize. Because what's the point? If you believe yourself to be beyond forgiveness, why even bother with an apology.

But that's not what's most interesting to me. See, outside of mending his relationship with Aziraphale, I don't think the demon could give a single fuck about forgiveness. On the cosmic level, it's just another carrot dangled by Heaven. The whole concept of forgiveness of sins demonstrates a pretty fucked up power differential. I mean, who gets to decide whether God has forgiven you when She's not even talking?

I think it's fascinating that despite their squabble, Crowley removes his glasses the moment he steps back into the bookshop, performing the Apology Dance in his "naked" face. It suggests that he knows before he even starts that everything is going to be okay. He can approach the situation in a state of vulnerability because he deeply trusts his angel. But the dance, the mating ritual, still has to be completed. It's similar to how Aziraphale knew Crowley would let him drive the Bentley, but they still had to negotiate their way through the motions.

We've called it the Apology Dance, despite the fact that no apology is offered and no forgiveness given. Remember, Aziraphale's response to Crowley's successful completion of the ritual is, "Very nice."

So here's the crux. All these rituals that they perform, the Ineffable dances, if you will, rely on one crucial element. The result of the ritual has to be established before the ritual has begun. They each have to enter the ritual in a state of vulnerability, knowing the outcome will be safe and satisfying. And I think that's why Aziraphale doesn't say, "I forgive you" after Crowley's elegant spin and bow.

Because forgiveness is something Aziraphale only offers the demon when he feels cornered, frightened and unsafe. Think about the two times he's said it. In both cases, the forgiveness was weaponized.

(Apology Dance incoming for this next gif.)

In a very real way, when Aziraphale forgives Crowley, he invalidates his best friend's lived experience. Crowley doesn't want to be forgiven. He wants to be accepted. Loved. Seen.

So as much fun as it is to speculate about who might dance for whom in S3, I truly hope neither angel nor demon apologize to the other. For me, the most meaningful conclusion would be for them to complete their mating ritual not with some dogmatic, pedantic, fucked up power differential where one forgives the other for perceived iniquities. Nah. Fuck that. I want them to accept and love and deeply see one another and fully embrace whatever that means.

Here. Have some tissues.

[the-worm-that-gnaws-in-the-night]

Bumped into some Lyre Birds just outside of Katoomba

[mtg-art-daily]

Birds of Paradise

Artist: Mark Poole

[therosettasun]

HEADMISTRESS JOROGUMO

OFFICIAL “Birds of Paradise” ART BY @godlytrinity on TIKTOK!

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

I am currently alternating between watching an episode of Granada Holmes on Youtube, saving Good Omens pins on Pinterest (one day, one day I will run across one of my posts as a screenshot and then I will have peaked), watching Shadow and Bone edits on Youtube, writing my book and crocheting a Slytherin scarf.

There is not a single fucking real life thought in my head and I am McLovin' it fuck the real world.

[aubreyplazawife]

obsessed with this movie

[girlboxd]

Birds of Paradise (2021) Dir. Sarah Adina Smith