Bird Paintings: Between Abstraction and Realism

Flame Rumped Tanager (Ramphocelus flammigerus)

This painting explores the quiet strength of a female Flame-rumped Tanager immersed in a dreamlike natural world. I rendered her form with realism, every feather defined, her gaze alert yet serene I am surrounding her with abstract elements that pulse with light, rhythm, and organic energy.

Dotted clusters, luminous brushstrokes, and stylized leaves suggest both foliage and emotion, turning the landscape into a living reflection of her presence. The contrast between her calm stillness and the expressive environment invites the viewer to feel nature not only as a place, but as a state of being.

Red Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

40" x 60"

Perched high above the forest floor, the Red Ibis becomes a vivid flame against the stillness of the tree. Its scarlet plumage radiates warmth and presence, a living contrast to the quiet, structured branches that hold it.

This painting moves between realism and abstraction where form is suggested rather than defined, and color carries emotion as much as meaning. The ibis is not just a bird, but a symbol: of grace, solitude, and transformation.

The composition plays with light and shadow, geometry and softness, allowing the viewer to feel the atmosphere of the scene rather than simply observe it.

Here, the ibis waits, not in motion, but fully alive, holding its place in a world of balance and mystery.

White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) and Booted Racket-tail (Ocreatus underwoodi)

40" x 60"

In this composition, three hummingbirds share a moment suspended in time. Two rest gently on their perch, still and observant, while the third hovers just above, wings in motion, energy in the air.

The painting is a study in contrasts: motion and stillness, presence and potential. The scene is not bound by strict realism, but instead invites the viewer into an atmosphere shaped by soft abstraction and expressive color.

Brushstrokes suggest the delicate flutter of wings and the quiet intimacy of the perch, while layered hues create depth and movement. Together, the birds form a visual rhythm, a gentle harmony of form, light, and silence.

This piece is a tribute to the grace of hummingbirds and the beauty found in their fleeting, shared moments.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

40" x 60"

In this painting, I portray a solitary white egret nestled in a vibrant abstract world. The egret’s delicate plumage is rendered in soft, luminous strokes, each feather catching light like a silken thread. This bird stands poised and graceful amid a cascade of rich red, green, blue, and orange hues. Around it, colors burst in a frenzy of dots and streaks, threaded with crackling lines that evoke a lush jungle and an inner landscape of emotion. Yet even as the background pulsates with chaotic energy, the egret remains a tranquil focal point, its quiet presence anchoring the scene.

Through bold color and thoughtful composition, I strive to reveal the spirit of nature in this work. The rich palette of reds, greens, blues, and oranges represents the emotional energy of a wild habitat and perhaps a reflection of my own inner world. By juxtaposing the egret’s calm, radiant figure with an explosion of abstract color, I want to evoke in the viewer a feeling of both peace and passion simultaneously. In this contrast lies the heart of the painting: a celebration of life’s vibrancy intertwined with nature’s still, sacred moments.

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) and Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis)

24" x 48"

In this painting, I explore the silent connection between two vibrant beings the toucan and the golden frog each reflecting the colors and rhythms of their shared forest. The composition moves between realism and abstraction: the detailed forms of the animals emerge from a dreamlike landscape of color, light, and movement. The background becomes a living atmosphere a symphony of greens, blues, and golds that evoke water, air, and foliage blending into one. Through this harmony of opposites air and earth, sound and silence. I wanted to celebrate nature’s balance and its infinite ability to mirror our own emotions.

Color is the principal narrator. Behind the toucan, a citrus aureole pushes warm wavelengths forward while the river basin cools into teal, indigo, and violet. The frog’s alchemical yellow sits at the hinge of these zones, a complementary spark against the blue shadow. The palette doesn’t merely describe light; it assigns roles: warmth as spectacle and witness, coolness as memory and refuge.

Silver-throated Tanager (Tangara icterocephala)

24" x 24"

My art explores the intimate balance between realism and abstraction, where color becomes the voice of nature and form becomes emotion. In this work, the Silver-throated Tanager emerges as a symbol of delicate beauty and resilience, a small creature rendered with realistic detail, yet surrounded by abstract fields of color that echo the pulse of the natural world.

Through layered tones, geometry, and light, I seek to reveal how life vibrates beneath the surface of stillness. Each brushstroke reflects my belief that nature’s spirit cannot be confined; it moves freely between order and chaos, silence and song, reality and dream.

Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis)

40" x 30"

Scarlet-fronted Parakeet (Psittacara wagleri)

40" x 72"

This painting presents the Scarlet-fronted Parakeet in realistic detail, capturing its brilliant green feathers and the bold splash of red across its forehead. Native to the highland forests and rocky cliffs of the Andes, this parakeet is full of character alert, social, and vibrant.

Perched calmly, the bird appears mid-observation, a moment of stillness in its usually active rhythm. Each feather is rendered with care, honoring the intricate beauty of its plumage and the light that plays across it. The red crown stands out as a symbol of identity and contrast against the lush green tones of its body and surroundings.

This work aims to celebrate the natural elegance of the Scarlet-fronted Parakeet, inviting the viewer to pause and observe a species often heard before seen.

This work resides in a private collection.

Red Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

40" x 60"

In this work, I explore the red ibis as a symbol of elegance, mystery, and transformation within nature’s luminous tapestry. The bird emerges from an abstract forest where color becomes emotion, deep greens, yellows, and blues merge in rhythmic harmony, suggesting both light and shadow, creation and decay.

The ibis, painted in vivid realism, stands as a guardian of the wild, bridging the tangible and the dreamlike. Through contrasts of intensity and softness, I seek to capture the quiet poetry that lives within nature where form dissolves into feeling, and the forest itself seems to breathe.

This work resides in a private collection.

Andean cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus) and Great Egret (Ardea alba)

40" x 72"

The canvas captures a rare encounter, the Cock of the Rock, blazing in crimson and orange, perches proudly against the rugged backdrop of stone, a living flame of the Andes. Opposite, the White Heron stands serene at the river’s edge, a figure of stillness and grace, its pale feathers glowing with quiet light. One embodies the drama of the cliffs, the other the calm of flowing waters. Between them unfolds a dialogue of contrasts, fire and purity, movement and stillness, mountain and river—woven together in harmonious balance, as if nature itself painted this meeting of worlds.

This work resides in a private collection.

Venezuelan Troupial (Icterus icterus) and American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus rubber)

40" x 60"

In this painting, I wanted to capture a dialogue between two contrasting spirits of nature, the grounded elegance of the flamingo and the alert, vibrant presence of the black-orange bird above.

The scene unfolds in an atmosphere where realism meets abstraction: flowing lines of color, light, and movement merge with the natural forms of the birds and plants. The reflections, splashes, and textures suggest energy beneath the calm surface, a reminder that every moment in nature holds both stillness and transformation.

This work resides in a private collection.

24" x 24"

Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas)

30" x 40"

Oil on Canvas