Feeling Patriotic

Independence Day is always a fun holiday, what with the parades, and the picnics, and the FREEDOM we Americans have. The eagle was used as a symbol of the U.S.A. long before July 4, 1776. It was often comical in its early renderings, looking more like a regular bird, a chicken or even a turkey. But the beauty in these primitive images is in their wacky and uninhibited use of color and pattern (like on the wings here). I also admire the eagle and shield images used in the post-colonial era, especially those on "Federal" style furniture inlays. So - this image is my own combination of those styles (pen and watercolor, approx. 4 1/2" x 6 1/2").