Saffron Finches are all over Hawaij. They are a burst of sunshine in a field of green. I had a baby Saffron in my yard last week. The little one was attempting to fly, but didn't quite have the technical aspects down yet. His parents were with him every step of the way, up in the tree looking down and waiting from him to figure it out.

With these two Saffrons, today is a day of snuggles and sunshine. Every trip to Hawaii should include lots and lots of both those elements! Enjoy your stay! (Or stay-cation if lucky you live Hawaii)

Inspiration comes in the most unusual of places sometimes. I recently was visiting family in California and we spent a good deal of time at the hospital, not too much fun to visit, but everything turned out fine. So I was there visiting and then I had to use the restroom. I guess someone could feel I needed a little moment of joy, because I stepped into the one-person bathroom, and low and behold, a Great Horned Owl was patiently waiting for me to stop in! He looked so dashing in an

otherwise not so elegant setting. I decided

right then and there that I must give him a

proper painting. I'm so used to painting

the Hawaii Pueo, but I never forgot my first owl love, the Great Horned Owl. They are amazing. One of the largest owls on planet Earth, the Great Horned Owl is most notable for their size and ear tufts. They may be a seriously fierce predator species, but I just get an overwhelming urge to hug them!

When my friend Kris brought home Lucy Belle, a mini schnauzer-pinscher pup, Uggi (my Pom-Chi-Terrier mix) and I were so excited! The dream was, "oh it'll be so nice to wake up when the air is cool, walk in the morning and get exercise, socialize the dogs together. How lovely!"

In reality it goes a little more like this:

5:30- Uggi wakes up, gets off the bed and proceeds to pace back and forth, crying and begging with his unbreakable stare

5:45- still there by the bedside... waiting...

6:00- make some louder pleas just in case I've fallen back asleep

6:15- nudges the bed... make sure I'm not dead

6:30- alright alright! I'm up!! Time to go!! Lucy and Kris are here, c'mon c'monnnn!

That's how it all starts. Then it's off we go, a parade of four, making stops for every weed, stone and rockwall that crosses our path. But the best part is sadly the end of our walk. Lucy and Uggi know the end is nigh, face each other and proceed to give sweet kisses goodbye.

Now that's the proper way to start your day!

Downy Woodpeckers have to be the cutest woodpeckers out there. They are small and fluffy and the male has this little patch of red on the back of his head. I think "soul patch" would better fit this guy's cool red spot rather than the weird, oddly placed bottom lip thing we now use that term to describe. But that's just me:) 
Downy Woodpeckers are mini excavators. They make their own homes in old/dead tree limbs by pounding their beaks against the tree trunk with so much force that, comparatively, would break a human's neck if one of us was to try it out. It gives the phrase, "knock on wood" a whole new level of power and assertiveness, don't you think?

I forgot to post this beautiful kitty! This is my friend Tina's calico Musubi, Moo for short. She is a pretty, slender kitty with high energy and loads of personality. The difficult part was getting photos of her sitting down where I could get her face and body markings. Just love how this painting came out, she looks a like a sweet angel... Hehehe...

The 'Akepa is an amazing bird. Only found on the Big Island with this bright orange plumage, the 'Akepa is a critically endangered species. They are also one of the smallest birds in Hawaii, but the 'Akepa's color sure packs a punch! These two are enjoying a moment together in a Cassia Javanica tree. Today is a good day, clear sky, beautiful flowers and a loved one by your side. Who could ask for more?

And you thought your dinner was fresh! This is top rate service, lake to table!
Bald Eagles are stunning birds. I guess you have to be pretty awe-inspiring to be the symbol of our nation. With sharp talons and a huge wing-span, the Bald Eagle is able to swoop down on fish and bring home dinner with finesse. They mate for life, so he should know already that one is not going to be enough. Guess next time she will have to make him a grocery list...

Since I began painting cutesy birds and the like, friends and family have offered up lots of ideas for me to use in future paintings. I absorbs all these suggestions and create compositions with them in mind. This idea came from my friend Jesse who threw it out there yesterday and I said, "yes, I am using that one"...

I had to totally twist around the meaning however, because the original phrase refers to killing two birds with one stone. Not so good for my kind of painting. So I started thinking about what type of bird I would use with what kind of stone. Finches with a river stone? Eagles with a boulder? Then I remembered that penguins have a tradition involving a pebble. If you haven't heard of this tradition, it's amazing. When a male finds the lady of his dreams and wants her to be his everlasting mate, he searches for the perfect pebble as a token of his undying affection. If he choses incorrectly, she will not give him a second look, so it's crucial that he picks the right one. If the lady penguin accepts the male penguin's pebble, they become monogamous mates for life. No matter how far away they are from each other, over glacier and frozen sea, the two will continue to search for each other forever.

Gives new meaning to another phrase, "did you see the rock he gave her?"

"Time on my hands, could be time spent with you..."

sorry, had to do one most post today:)

My Northern Cardinal is thinking about his love. While I was painting this piece, I could hear the male cardinal in my backyard calling out to his mate. And I knew I was going to paint this one rich blue, so "calling" and "blues" stuck in my head, and there you have it. Elton sings such a hauntingly lovely song, and so does my backyard cardinal. It was a match made in Heaven:)