Birds of Paradise

1984 - 1989

A short series composed of around 3 dozen works. Composition was explored with pen & ink and graphite pencils. Color was tested with prismacolor & watercolor trials and then perhaps committed to canvas with acrylic paint.

Several versions of a single theme were created, colored, and recombined into other works. Several designs were interpreted in various line, media and color styles.

Especially in the islands where Bird of Paradise grew in most every yard made a big impression on my midwest curiosity. Unable to leave the flower and avian pun alone I made it the focus of a series. I was able to sketch, paint, and draw exotic landscapes with more and better accuracy than my Great Plains zoo imagination had previously allowed. Even those boundaries had been enlarged upon by years in the Ozarks where a greater divergency existed in the warmer, wetter ecosystem, it was nothing compared to the rain forest dimension of verdant thickness.

Local vegetation occupied with tropical birds and sunlight was easy to grasp by using short journeys into the backyard when looking out the studio window would not suffice for further observations of light & color.

I took care of a number of parrot types after arriving in Hawaii and eventually collected breeding pairs of cockatiels, ducks, geese, etc. Duck Eggs were the sunny upside of this endeavor. Went through hundreds of anthuriums, heliconias, and orchids suffering beauty like any artist should.

Reduced to Line

Because this was the '80's there was still a market for camera ready black and white illustration in advertising and merchandising consumer goods created for the tourist art boutique market.

'Learning bananas'

This is how I affectionately look at these years and the art I created during that time.

wb-2012