5. The Conference of the Birds. Note: If the image is not displaying properly, please drag it to your desktop and view it from there. Thank you!
I really loved the Peter Sis book illustrating The Conference of The Birds that we passed around in section. This book made me think about how well that poem lends itself to illustration. However, the one thing I thought could be different or improved about that book was that it did not attempt to depict any of the stories within the valleys at the end. I thought these stories were one of the richest parts of the entire poem, and I wanted to reflect on these by drawing the world of the poem by including them. I chose pencil as my medium because it allows me to maximize my limited artistic talent and utilize shading.
I drew the valleys in order, named and connected by a path, and in each I wrote the title of a story corresponding to that valley, and an illustration of the story happening in each valley. I also drew the birds flying over each valley, as I thought Sis’s depictions of the birds themselves were some of the most beautiful things in his book. While I drew much more simple drawings of the birds, I tried to show the diversity of the bird kingdom by having them vary greatly in size. By drawing the stories I read, I think I offer an interesting visual depiction of and reflection on a text so rich in imagery as The Conference of The Birds. While, obviously, I lack Sis’s talent for drawing and artistic expression, I think my piece complements his by including some of the stories that were such a delight to read in the original text.