From Me To You: Bird Painting by kto ART

Yesterday I met Makenzie, my newest and youngest collector (9yrs old), and her family. It was a really fun outing, the first time I left my house since my surgery. 
Sometimes I will make studies of a painting as a rehearsal for my final one. I will admit, I don't do that very often, but I had an idea... Makenzie and her mom Laura really struck a chord with me. Laura told me that Makenzie has been drawing since she was two. Laura wants to continue encouraging Makenzie with art because she (Laura) enjoyed making her own artwork, but didn't quite get the support she needed as she grew up. I never would have continued my art if my parents said "no" to art classes or nixed my decision to major in a Bachelor of Fine Arts. So when Laura wanted Makenzie to meet me, I was really excited to go.
 

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Makenzie and Karen

I brought my sketchbook and as I painted "From Me To You", I took frame-by-frame pictures to show Makenzie how I get to the final painting. My idea of making a study for this painting was so I could bring Makenzie a little gift to encourage her to keep creating her own artwork.
"From Me To You" features the smallest Hawaiian honeycreeper called 'Anianiau. Mostly found in Kauai's  upper forests, the 'Anianiau loves the nectar from Lehua (the Ohia tree's flower). To me, this 'Anianiau looks like he's holding onto this Lehua as a gift, offering it to you in return for your love:)

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