Colleen's Thorn Bird

A literal depiction of the novel 'The Thorn Birds', a lorikeet letting out a stymied, yet eerily beautiful song while impaled by brambles and dying. This artwork is a nod to Colleen McCollough, born in the Central West region in nearby Wellington. In the book, the mythical "thornbird" is explained with the following:

There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to out-carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain.... Or so says the legend.