Wodehouse’s Scrub Jay (Garden of the Gods)

Oil on canvas panel.

This regal bird caught the early morning sunlight on the top of the pines just as I entered the park and blew me away with his confident posture and seemingly joyful calls. He was a god. And this was His garden that I was walking into, despite the hazy air coming over the Rockies from California wildfires.

I struggled to capture his proud and majestic demeanor adequately (three+ attempts!), but all things considered I'm pleased with how his portrait turned out.