In his newest series of paintings, artist Daniel Maffia’s beautifully painted birds are almost secondary to the formality and precision of his rendering of 18th century French mats. These traditional borders are purposefully broken-edged and splattered as though aged and distressed by time.The bottom edge of the mat is usually absent, giving an open feeling to the 3-sided enclosure so that the bird may escape its confinement. Maffia invokes a 19th century French poet to describe his affinity with the birds he paints: “Lamartine once said that flowers are strewn on the road of life as milestones and guides. For me, these creatures that flap and fly and sing, briefly accompany us onward to our journey’s end.”