"I love to plant and create my own little wilderness. I built a habitat around our house where birds and other creatures feel at home. The nuthatch is one of our guests every year. My collection of terra cotta jars, almost overgrown by ground-covering plants, is his favorite perch before he starts his acrobatic activity on a big pine close by. This painting is a tribute to one of my favorite backyard birds, combined with my favorite spring flower, the rhododendron." - Carl Brenders