Ruby-throated Hummingbird ~ "Little Wonders" ~ Watercolor Framing:Unframed The yellow eyes were painted

The yellow eyes were painted last — two points of fierce intensity against all that softness

catching prey they've never seen

Bold contrasts and intricate details honor their quiet strength and patient focus as they wade the tides

Green-crowned woodnymphs inhabit the understory of Central and South American forests

Barn owls have a face like no other bird: that heart-shaped disc

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ~ "Little Wonders" ~ Watercolor Framing:Unframed The yellow eyes were paintedThis ruby throated hummingbird watercolor captures the only hummingbird species that breeds in eastern North America a tiny jewel that crosses the Gulf of Mexico nonstop during migration. That's 500 miles over open water on wings that beat 53 times per second. The ruby throat gorget flashes red to black depending on the angle of light, and I wanted this painting to catch that shimmer. I worked freehand on archival cotton rag paper with Kissho Gansai