Nothing small about this bird, he's all puffed up and ready for some loving. My "Birdette" birds always have that cute, fluffy, welcoming personality. How can you say no to this guy? Honestly.

He's too cute!

The lei is a traditional welcoming gift from Hawaii. You will always see people at the airport in Hawaii, waiting for friends and family with leis looped on their arms, ready to lasso incoming visitors. It's the best greeting you could ask for, like a soft inviting embrace of fragrant plumeria saying "aloha, welcome to paradise!"

My little yellow birds are quite the entrepreneurs, setting up shop right on the beach. They have all different colors of leis to choose from, and how can you say no to their very reasonable prices? It's a beautiful day in Hawaii. And a lei would just be the cherry on top!

This painting started off as a 24"x36" painting. I had all kinds of different birds with coral hibiscus perched all over. It didn't work as a cohesive painting, so it sat in my studio for a year. Last week I looked over at it and realized I was holding onto it because of these adorable 'Akepas. I decided to fix it for good by cutting down my painting and restretching the cropped version on a 12"x12" frame. I'm so glad I did. Now it's one of my favorite paintings:)

The 'Akepa is a brilliant orange male and duller female that make Hawaii's forests just a little brighter. These two are having a good time, singing and swaying in the lower branches of a hibiscus bush. Love is wonderful!

I wish I had a place like this! Rolling waves, plenty of surfboards and a little shack to replenish the body with refreshing ice water, pineapple juice and sandwiches. My little yellow birds are contemplating how to take a ride of the surfboards while the surfers break for lunch. That's going to be a tough task, maybe sunbathing is a more feasible option...

It's official! Wyland Hale'iwa is my new spot on the North Shore:) To kick off the send off, I made this painting of the famous Hale'iwa sign that welcomes every visitor as you enter into the beautiful beach town of the same name. This sign is iconic for me. I remember living on Oahu, going to college in town and heading up to Hale'iwa for a break from the city and a little surfing, sunbathing or both.

My little Saffron Finches are checking out the craftsmanship of the sign. With so much detail and color, it's a lot to take in for a little bird!

After taking a picture or two with the sign, these birds will be heading to the beach for some surf, sand and sun. The male's signature red flush on his face may need a little sunscreen before they take off. Stay cool and burn-free!

Sometimes the song comes first.

Sometimes the idea comes first.

For this painting, the two were synchronous.

I am very familiar with these colors combos, they are one of my favorite combinations. And I was listening to the song "Comes Love" while painting another piece and thought it would be a great song for this design.

The song is about life and how you can protect yourself from the weather and the daily grind, but "comes love, nothing can be done"...

Comes love, we are all toast! So just roll with it and enjoy the ride!

Shave Ice is the ultimate snack in the hot Hawaiian sun. My two yellow birds are devising a plan to get some for themselves, but they must be careful with the calico kitty sleeping peacefully benchside… They will find a way. After all, everyone deserves a little afternoon treat!

Swaying palm trees, soft moonlight, your love and lots of kisses… can life be any better?

The idea came first for this painting, but the song has been in my “title file” since the very beginning. One of the most romantic songs ever, in my opinion.

It's my anniversary today, so I'm feeling extra snuggly, nostalgic and romantic. My husband always rolls his eyes, but I know he loves it underneath that stoic exterior;)

My translation of this song:
No matter what happens in life, everything that makes you beautiful and special will stay with me for eternity.

They can’t take that away from me.

No… they can’t take that away… from me!

This American Robin looked larger and in charge to me, hence his name "Big Daddy". Hawaii never introduced robins to their mix of birds, which is good for the delicate Hawaiian eco-environment but sad for me because I miss watching them bounce all over the place, pulling up worms and taking inventory of their landscape.

"Big Daddy" is ready for a new adventure, who's with him?

So I'm heading to Waikiki today for my show tonight. Very excited to visit Iris and the crew!

My Lei Shack was a hit, so I had to create a Surf Shack for Waikiki. My two little yellow birds are trying to figure out how they are going to get those two surfboards to the beach. The waves are rolling in and the slippers are still sitting outside the door, so these birds know that they have a limited amount of time before the owners of these boards awaken and hit the beach.

Time is of the essence! Let's Go Surf!