At Birds in Art and AcrylicWorks 2025

Selected for “Birds in Art” 2025”!!!all started when…

This painting of a purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) came to me in a strange way. I am mesmerized the kinetic movement of reeds and their reflections on the water. As I reviewed my past field sketches while listening to a Bach Keyboard Partita. The music made me “see” the painting in my mind. From previously frustrating experiences, I knew that a purple gallinule was not an easy subject. The metallic cobalt blues, aquas and emeralds are heavily modulated by light, while the reeds’ wavy reflections overlap with underwater features. It all needed many layers of transparent acrylic paint.

Selected in 2025 for the “Birds in Art” at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum exhibit, which marks the 50th anniversary of the exhibition. This is a very competitive exhibition, as only 101 entries were selected from 1160 art pieces submitted by 703 artists worldwide.

Selected as one of five Honorable Mention winners at the 2025 “AcrylicWorks 12: The Best of Acrylic” competition. Featured in Artists Magazine special issue of Sept. 2025.