Five audio-makers from around the world take over The Essay to offer a series of Radio 3's innovative Between the Ears features in miniature. Each edition takes an image as its starting point - from a radio producer who finds herself caught in a news image to a painting come to life.

Creation of the Birds is a tone poem, composed and produced by Sami El-Enany, based on the painting by Remedios Varo of the same name.

Varo’s painting depicts an anthropomorphic owl sitting at a desk drawing a series of birds with a musical brush. After being drawn, the birds are imbued with starlight refracted from a magnifying lens and come to life.

A look at the private life of an artist, the origins of inspiration, and an ode to the personalities of beautiful birds and the landscapes they inhabit. This fantastical exploration of the metamorphosis from an abstract idea to a finished artwork is in three movements - The Skylark, The Oystercatcher and The Blackbird.

Owlman performed by Joe Winnsmith
String necklace performed by David Denyer
Birdsong performed by Jessica Winter

Composed and Produced by Sami El-Enany
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 3 Show less