The striking colors of this bird were extremely fun to mix and paint.

They also took a lot of time. The bird required many details and slow shaping to come to life and I practiced it relentlessly before finally painting this final version.

After painting the bird, I painted the lotus on the side. Filling in such a large leaf without leaving water marks (when the paint dries it is difficult to continue painting around it without a line showing) was a tough process that required me to move fast. However, the end result was definetly worth it.

This piece is done with Chinese watercolors and ink on half-raw paper.

Dimensions (H x W): 27” x 48”