Being part of Gallery 9 has brought some interesting opportunities for commissions. I have painted red winged black birds for an anniversary, nuthatches for a birthday, and most recently, a couple who lives on Discovery Bay came to me with a very fun request. They had new cork floors installed, and made use of the overage by having the substrate cut into coaster sized squares. These folks are enthusiastic fans of my bird paintings, and wondered if I could paint small birds on each coaster? Also, they wondered if I would work from a supplied list of Puget Sound birds that they see from their viewpoint overlooking Discovery Bay. How could I resist? Although the size is a little smaller than my usual smallest paintings, I was up for the challenge. We also agreed that the cork is so beautiful, we wanted the background simple… no layers of paint or pattern, as is my usual style.
Here’s a peek at the results. I completed the pieces with a couple of coats of clear acrylic, for a layer of protection. My happy patrons will be hosting a holiday feast for 12 people, and each guest will have their very own NW bird to nest their beverage on! In case you are wondering, here’s the list: Oregon junco, pacific slope flycatcher, varied thrush, winter wren, chestnut backed chickadee, Anna’s hummingbird, red-breasted sapsucker, hairy woodpecker.
