Mr. Bluebird on My Shoulder - Art by Marisa Balletti-Lavoie

Marisa Queen of Sass
Feb 16
1 min read

Some stories aren’t found—they’re created.

This image began with two separate moments: South Louisiana guitarist Jean Bertrand, lost in the rhythm at Rhythm & Roots Festival, and a quiet little bird in our yard at camp—brown, unassuming, waiting to be seen. But art has a way of rewriting reality. With a painter’s touch, I gave him a new story, a new voice—transforming him into something vibrant, something extraordinary.

What started with the working title Zippity Do Da became a fusion of music and imagination, earning a Merit in the American Society of Photographers’ Images of Distinction and another in the Professional Photographers of Massachusetts Annual Image Competition. Now, after its journey through competition, this piece is ready to find a new home.

With its bold, illustrative quality, Mr. Bluebird on My Shoulder reminds us that sometimes, magic isn’t waiting to be found—it’s waiting to be created.