The Agami heron is found in rainforests from Panama down into Brazil. In Brazil, it is called the hummingbird heron because of its coloring. This is very different from how I usually work but I spent nearly eight hours in the Denver airport yesterday because of plane delays, and once I started playing with fine lines for the feathers, it was meditative and even a little addictictive…

I am so grateful for the incredible wildlife videographers and generous teachers who post their love of birds on YouTube and other sites. Audubon shot his study specimens, and at least I can say that no birds were harmed in the making of my paintings (and the rooms I inhabit smell better than his did, if I am to believe reports). I learn so much along the way, including the fact that there are 64 species of herons around the world, including this delicately colored denizen of rainforests from Panama to northern Brazil.