Jungle Theme Mural

This is a mural I painted inside a pet store. The wall is 8ft high and 12ft long, though I only have photos of one half of it. The first image is a collage - I pasted together several photos to show the full view of the painting on the wall. Following photos show the details.

Pet Portrait 

This is Higgins. I got a commission to draw his portrait after his death. He was a very special guy, and I knew him quite well,  so his portrait is probably my best work to date. I worked from a photo, which was the owner's favorite image of him, though I corrected the drastic foreshortening and enhanced the pic a bit. The drawing is life-size.

Parrot Jewelry

These pins, earrings, and pendants are made with enamel on copper. I draw and hand cut the shapes from an 18gauge copper sheet. The enamel is basically crushed colored glass, which melts and adheres to the copper when heated in a kiln. The melting point is fairly high - at least 1400F for most of the colors I use. It takes several enamel applications and firings to complete each piece. The pinbacks are soldered on last, with a very low-temperature solder. I sell these pieces at my local bird club.

Dream Catcher

I made this with the feathers of a B&G Macaw that I groom at work. The bird's name is Brody. I am very sad over his situation. His owner, the only bird person of the family, died about two years ago. Since then, I got to see Brody at most two times a year, when he was brought in for clipping. I saw him change from a beautiful, well-socialized fid to a slightly neurotic and skittish feather-chewer. The family don't understand macaws, but they refuse to part with Brody because he is an expensive bird. :(

Wild Birds

These guys are a pair of Gila Woodpeckers that I painted 4-5 years ago in Arizona. They were constantly hanging around our campsite, so they made excellent models. I got up at dawn to paint them, so I could work in peace and avoid the rest of the campers. This piece is one of my favorites. The early light and color comes across quite well, don't you think?