Bruce the tiny Vancouver parrot lands internet fame with abstract art

Bruce, a 17-year-old parrot, has become famous on social media for his abstract artwork made entirely of fruit juices. She has over 37,000 followers on Instagram and is enjoying a wave of fame on Tumblr. His works, which are lively, modern and bold, have been published in two books.

Bruce is one of 10 birds who rose to fame after his owner, Tina Kermes, started sharing funny meme-filled videos and photos of his bird friends on the @follow_the_feathers Instagram page. Among the videos are footage of Bruce in his "food den," a glass structure built by Kermes to protect his kitchen walls from the bird's busy eating.

He incessantly eats the berries with gusto, and bits of the berry are sprinkled around the latter, leaving Jackson Pollock-like drawings on the papers Kermes places underneath.

Kermiz, who volunteers with the Greyhaven homeless bird sanctuary in Vancouver and has taken in 17 birds so far, says it is impossible for him to leave any bird that needs a home.

Bruce, who came to Kermiz House eight years ago, has heart and liver problems and cataracts in both eyes. Caring for birds can be very expensive and time-consuming, explains Kermiz. "I haven't taken a vacation since 2010, and my medical expenses last year were exactly the same as my rent," she says.

Kermiz started the social page as a joke at first to show close friends the funny side of keeping birds, but as the following grew, it became an opportunity to educate future bird owners.

These artworks, books as well as videos will be used to raise funds for the Greyhaven and The Nest bird sanctuaries. Bruce is now known as an internet star and artist whose work can benefit homeless birds in shelters.

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