Hot Night in Paradise

Hot Night in Paris bursts into song with animals, fish, birds and people in a vibrant tangerine, orange, red sea.

This painting tells the story of a Queen Bird with a human face, two eyes on one side of her head, and a crown. There's a loud duck, an inquisitive sea turtle and a confrontational fish, all protecting the Queen from a blue bird suitor, in love with the Queen., while the Queen's heart betrays her love for the banished suitor.

The creases and folds here take on a whole new dimension, as the paint I used has a glean to it, in contrast with sections that aren't. I used oils with raw pigment, oil crayons, organic inks and dyes, leather paint and a touch of latex on gessoed canvas. I worked the canvas in order to mold the edges into the form they are in.

At first glance, this painting sounds like a trumpet, but the closer you look, you'll begin to hear the quieter and more subtle tones. Depending on the light, the background sea turns into a warm, lush purplish mulberry.