Where My Hummingbird Sings

“Where My Hummingbird Sings” is a painting created on a hand crafted 36x36 birchwood panel. I primarily used watercolor for this piece, while allowing myself the intuitive freedom to accentuate different elements of the painting with a variety of media (such as acrylic, gold leaf, and colored pencil). The female figure is painted using watercolor, to achieve the rich tones I worked in layers treating the paint like a stain. As I apply more watercolor, the grain of the wood becomes more apparent, creating warm organic movement and texture throughout the body. I approached the hummingbird in the same fashion using watercolor, once dried I went back in with a layer of colored pencils to achieve more detail and vibrancy..

The figure in the painting is a depiction of a dear friend of mine. I was truly inspired by the sweetness of her innermost being, the vulnerability she bravely shares with others, and the power she possesses by just being a woman. The hummingbird was created intuitively for her, I felt a spiritual connection between her and the tiny creature. Hummingbirds represent faith, joy, hope, and inspiration. In some cultures the birds are seen as lightworkers or spiritual helpers. The hummingbird is also believed to be a connection to our ancestors and when visited by the little bird it is actually a visitation by a passed loved one. What is the hummingbird singing to her? Only she knows the depth of the secret that lives within its song.

Accompanying this painting is a poem written by me mounted on birchwood, with gold leaf embellishments.

A short statement of the proposed artwork's relationship to the theme of “Passion" (150-500 words).