I’ve just painted this as one of the works for the upcoming 16 Days of Activism exhibition at The Eatery in Parkmore. It’s a female Bateleur eagle. I’ve always been fascinated by this species of snake-eating eagle, with its spectacular coloration, and if I were to choose a totem animal for myself, it would be this one. The text refers to Francois Le Vaillant, who first named the bird for its characteristic rocking flight, like that of a tightrope walker or acrobat. In so many ways women today are tightrope walkers, walking an uneasy line between competing demands and the dangers of a society where one wrong step can lead to calamity.
