I've been fascinated by exotic birds for a few years now, and it seems I'm always finding new ones. Here's one I stumbled across recently and, of course, I had to paint her! The Oropendola is part of the blackbird family and native to the forests of Central and South America. There are variations in color among them, but they all have a bright yellow tail. The face is what I'm most drawn to, however. How does Nature come up with these designs? Amazing.
This is a study of a tropical scene that I am playing around with, hoping to adapt it to a larger composition. Fish are fun to paint, so I'm betting I'll be painting more of them.
This portrait of Ella Fitzgerald is the last in a series of four portraits of Black American singers who served as early inspirations to me as a singer. Ella was often referred to as the Queen of Jazz for her supple, horn-like voice, impeccable diction, and awesome improvisational chops. Among many others, I just love her swinging version of one of my all-time favorites, "No Moon at All."
