Five years ago, I set out to develop a new kind of experience with my art. I wanted something more immersive than just an art show. I began by exploring multiple mediums to further understand my subject matter: birds. I realized I needed to be in the field with the birds, not only to view them in their habitat, but also to develop composition and palettes.

After my first Local Birds show (2022), I needed to evolve. I believe that change is important in art, and I needed to change my medium. For a long time, I mostly used watercolor and pastels. Painting with acrylics ended up being a breath of fresh air for my art. The layering of paints was something new to me. And it turns out, acrylic paint, when mixed with other mediums, becomes bold and strong. I found that I no longer needed glass to experience each piece. I also found that I could be less regimented. I let my art and the birds naturally dictate what would be shown.

Although this show is called Local Birds: Last Call, it is really about how our world is so full of amazing bird species. Everywhere you travel in the world, you can find extraordinary species of birds. When I have least expected it, I have been blown away by our avian friends.

The first example of this is my photos of the Mandarin Duck or, “the Hot Duck,” as the media referred to him. In 2018, my family traveled to New York City for my daughter, Madeleine, to experience the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Even though I didn’t expect to encounter an exotic bird species in NYC, I always haul my camera everywhere. While there, I read an article about a rare bird that had been spotted in Central Park. It was speculated that the duck, an unbelievably gorgeous Mandarin Duck, had escaped from a private collection. Days and weeks later, people would wait in line for hours to witness his spectacular plumage. But on the day I went, there were only a few people with cameras, and lots of space for viewing. Not only was I lucky to spot him peddling around, but it was also as if he was putting on a show for me! If ever there was inspiration for a show of this design, the Mandarin Duck is it. This bird is a work of art in every sense.

I am fortunate to be able to travel to amazing places. Two summers ago, our family traveled to the small Island of Kokomo, Fiji. I asked a local man about the birds on the island. He told me there are not many birds spotted on the island, as people tend to focus more on ocean life. This was not the case. I soon learned the islands were home to an amazing bird of prey, the Fiji Goshawk. I spotted one where we ate, but when I pursued it, I had no luck. While everyone swam and snorkeled in the ocean, I scoured the island for this hawk, only to catch rare, fleeting glimpses. But bird spotting is often unexpected. On my birthday, my family and I were enjoying lunch. My wife, Charity, nonchalantly looked around and said to me, “Is that your bird?” And there it was: perched on a fence, glowing. I had scoured the island in search of this hawk, only to have him appear to my wife during lunch. Another example of nature showing its unexpectedness.

Montana has a small falcon-type bird called a Merlin. Merlins are amazingly fierce hunters and are rarer than the Kestrel. The Merlin in this show, I encountered on the banks of the Grand Cascapedia river in Quebec, Canada. That’s about as far from Montana as you can get in North America. It is important to understand the broad range of birds. Some birds are isolated on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean and others migrate from one end of a continent to another.

After my first Local Birds show, some of the feedback I received was that my birds are so serious, as they often are in nature. I have always included humor in my artwork, but with birds, especially birds of prey, you don’t see a lot of humor. After receiving this feedback, I tested adding humor to my bird subjects, my first test being a Short-Eared Owl. I noticed its eyes were drooping a bit, almost like he was drunk. Seeing this, I added a whiskey decanter and a shot glass. I laughed out loud! Inebriated birds are something different and very humorous. It proved to be a nice compliment to their seriousness.

I brought this idea of birds and alcohol to our locale. I have known Missoula for a long time. We Missoulians have spots we return to over and over, me included. Like many locals, I have spent many evenings in Charlie B’s Bar, too many to count. Double Front Cafe & Bar is also one of these establishments, as fried chicken is a weakness of mine. Since these establishments are prominent in my Missoula experience, I wanted to weave them into my art.

As I conclude this journey, I hope that I have gotten you hooked. These birds have infected me in the best of ways and they are an addiction worth having. I often tell my family that I am moving on from birds. They laugh, tease, and know that this is not possible. Just last week, I walked through a field that had at least 50 Short-Eared Owls, flapping and flying all around me. Once again, birds created a surprising, impactful, and life-changing experience. It seems they have their claws in me and will not let go. As a friend said to me, there are not many ex-birders!

Enjoy! And please don’t give alcohol to birds.

Matthew C O’Connor