Broad-Billed Hummingbird

Acrylic and metallic acrylic paint on canvas.

24x36"

The more I learned about hummingbirds, the more captivated I became by them. Their iridescent feathers, which they can turn on and off, are truly magical; in the words of James Joyce, they create an “aesthetic arrest.” I used metallic paint to interact with the light and mimic the way these extraordinary birds transform their feathers into brilliant, shimmering color. I developed a process so that as you walk around the painting and the light shifts across the bird, you will experience the same effect.