Uschi Jeffcoat

Ihr glaubt der Jäger sei ein Sünder, weil er selten zur Kirche geht.
Im grünen Wald, ein Blick zum Himmel, ist besser als ein falsch Gebet. -Jäger Spruch

You claim the hunter is a sinner because he rarely goes to church.
In the green forest, a glimpse towards heaven, is better than a fake prayer. -Hunter Saying

Read the full story behind these watercolors here.

Essential tremor is a condition which causes one’s hands to shake. I have seen it in many older people and not given it a second thought. Until that thing, that I blamed on too much coffee or perhaps needing to eat something, became real to me last October.

It can be treated with medication on the bad days. And caffeine is no longer a friend to me. But the shock, I wrestled with, was that more than likely it will increase with age. And well, these hands are an extension of my creativity.

Internally, I was embarrassed by my self-pity. This is not a terminal illness or anything very debilitating. But it still felt like such a blow. How will I go through my future days without having the steadiness to hold a brush?

My husband, Charles with direct appropriateness stated, “This just means, we make the most of today.”

So, the Bird Squares pulled me out a creative paralysis of sorts. These small quadrants greeted me in the mornings or the late afternoons of my days.

And in the midst of this, a curious and remarkable thing happened. During a confirmation church service, a clerical man, whom I had not met before, paused while I was at the church alter, and said to me, in a voice I will never forget, “Give me your hands. Anoint them with oil…” (along with a few additional words that I believe are mine alone to treasure.)

Y’all, I cried THE ugliest of cries in front of an entire fancy traditional congregation. A Sunday morning emotional spectacle, if you will. How did this robed stranger man know !?!?

I have asked myself for several months, do I talk about this? Or simply keep it to myself? But recently, after reading thought provoking words, which Mary McLeod Bethunewrote, I came to the conclusion that I think I’d like to let you know; amazing and wondrous mysteries of faith still exist, at least to me. And maybe will meet you where you are and usher in perhaps an ounce of comfort.

The bird squares in their series of 12 continued to carry me through much of 2024.

I hope you enjoy them.

P.S. Several have already left the nest and are in homes they were meant to find. However, a few are still available for purchase.

Available for commissions in 2025.

Portraits come in all shapes, styles and sizes. While, small and honest is more my speed, on occasion I will take on a larger sized commission.

Please submit inquiries here.

Death is not foreign to me. I have known it as a reality. Life holds sorrows that sometimes come too early. And they shape us. Truly each encounter is significant and holds meaning. These experiences have taught me that death and grief are not an end but rather a tender step forward.

Through these fallen wings, I observe, learn and am able to speak. Their individual tales are found within the Studio Stories.

(Bird strikes are a very real issue impacting our planet’s bird population. The reference photos for these images are often sadly taken from such.)

Camellias will be here in January of 2025.