Flock to It

by Erin Z. Bass

Nothing says Deep South quite like a pink flamingo in the front yard, but now even the fanciest of homes can feel good about their outdoor ornaments. Danielle Bacque of Pink Flamingos in South Louisiana has literally turned the plastic birds into works of art with a little paint and embellishment. Without a scrap of pink in sight, her birds are decorated to resemble chili peppers, ladybugs, rhinestone cowgirls, Mardi Gras, watermelons, alligators and more. She’s even taken inspiration from the masters, with the Van Gogh Sunflower, Pollock and Monet’s Water Color flamingos. And OK, we lied, there is a “Pretty in Pink” bird adorned with feathers.

Bacque got the idea for her funky birds from a fundraiser she headed up as director of the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer’s Association. Flocks of flamingos would be placed around town at businesses, who were said to have been “flocked” and asked for a donation to remove them. They could then choose the next place the birds would travel, keeping them on the move for the cause. Bacque no longer works with the organization, but does offer flamingo fundraiser packages on the Funky Flamingos website.

She also takes requests for designs and recently completed a flamingo with horns and a skull for a customer who is a fan of the University of Texas. “It’s really funny to see what becomes popular,” she says. The ladybug, New Orleans Saints and artsy birds have been best sellers. Is Funky Flamingos helping to debunk the tacky stigma of the pink flamingo? Bacque doesn’t think that’s necessary. “The flamingo is iconic enough,” she says. “It’s going to have a following kind of like Elvis.”

Funky Flamingos are sold at the Hub City Farmers Market in Lafayette once a month and online at www.funky-flamingos.com. Prices range from $25-$45, and the birds can be shipped nationwide.