Pileated Woodpecker Bird Brooch

The nice weather is finally here; the sun is shining, flowers will soon be in full bloom and the birds are singing! What better way to celebrate spring and all the beauty it brings, then by highlighting this lovely wooden brooch. This delicately carved fashion accessory depicts a colourful pileated woodpecker, a species we are sure everyone has heard drumming on the trees that surround the district.

The pileated woodpecker is part of a larger series of Canadian bird brooches, which include such species as the Canada goose, Whisky Jack, bluebird and ruby throated hummingbird. The collection of hand-carved maple brooches, skilfully painted from life, display the vibrant colours that adorn our winged friends.

The featured brooch carries the artist’s signature “Inez” on the reverse by the pin. During the 1960s - 1970s, Inez Thompson carved and hand painted wooden bird brooches and earrings, selling her designs out of her workshop, Bird Craft Studio in Hillsburgh, ON. Thompson did not stop at woodcarving, extending her artistic practice into oil paintings and drawings in ink, pencil and watercolour.