In my wild bird series, I paint single birds emerging, partially concealed, from their habitat. I try to include a little of their story, their behaviour and their relationship with the environment as well as making them distinct and recognizable.

The backgrounds begin from a very emotive departure point. Remembering sounds, climate, season, colour, texture I apply paint directly and intuitively. From there the shapes of birds begin to reveal or suggest themselves. The challenge then is to find the right balance between gesture and recognizable form.

This painting approach mirrors the sense of discovery, identifying and revealing hidden elements, recognizing the barely visible and often ignored.
In Feeding Frenzy, I include a group of Grey capped Rosy Finches and my aim was to lean further into capturing energy and movement. I'm exploring the edges between abstraction and representation, allowing shapes to follow the lines of animation.