The Early Bird Catches the Worm

by Arjen Roos

The first light of day breaks through. The sky is bathed in intense shades of yellow, orange and red, whilst the world beneath the birds remains largely shrouded in darkness. Three small birds perch on a curved branch. Two seem to be calmly greeting the new day, but the third is clearly already hard at work: the early bird has caught its worm.

With *The Early Bird Catches the Worm*, I wanted to bring the well-known proverb literally to life, but above all to create an atmospheric image in which light and colour take centre stage. The three birds are small, fragile figures set against the almost overwhelming glow of the sunrise.

The work has a distinctly painterly and expressionist feel. Coarse brushstrokes and deep shadows are combined with warm shades of red, orange and golden yellow. The backlighting illuminates parts of the birds, whilst the dark vegetation at the bottom provides depth and contrast.

At the same time, this piece is a new interpretation of a theme I previously explored in my artwork *Early Birds*. This time, I wanted to make the scene more powerful, more painterly and more narrative — and, of course, a worm simply had to feature in the end.

‘The Early Bird Catches the Worm’ is a warm and colourful nature-inspired artwork for lovers of birds, sunrises and expressive landscapes. A striking statement piece that can literally bring a little sunshine into any interior.