"Songbird of the South" Signed Watercolor Print by Mickie West

These prints feature the original watercolor painting by Mickie West called “Songbird of the South.” They come in 5x7 and 8x10 and other sizes can be ordered. 

While the mockingbird can be somewhat aggressive and territorial, his voice is fearless and bold. I’ve often wondered, of all the beautiful birds in our region, why did Mississippi choose the mockingbird as its state bird!? Then I began reading about them. Their characteristics and temperament are so much typical of nearly every Mississippian I know! We, too, are bold and fearlessly protective of our state and culture. Music and literary voice are both cornerstones of our history and culture. Musical greats such as BB King, Elvis, Jimmy Rogers, Muddy Waters, and Leontyne Price shaped our musical heritage with courage and a legacy of resilience. Writers such as William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, and Tennessee Williams approached and depicted the south in all of its subtle, grisly beauty - both loud and gentle at the same time. The mockingbird, in stark juxtaposition to the delicate magnolia, is a perfect depiction of Mississippi’s heritage, and a bird collection would be incomplete without both.