Palila Portraits came from directing and producing my first feature documentary, A PARADISE LOST, about the endangered Palila. A rare Hawaiian bird tells his story as the first animal to sue the US government to save its kind from extinction, an animated fable of struggle and hope in the heart of the Extinction Capital of the World.

A conservationist I interviewed said there are an only about 600 Palila birds left in the world. I believed I could magically manifest more birds into existence by painting them. Creating one image per individual means doubling the number of Palila. The paintings are based on photographs taken by scientists, wildlife photographers and conservationists involved in their protection. We see them as individuals who are on the same level of importance as humans. Palila measure around 6-7.5 inches making them one of the largest living Hawaiian honeycreepers. 

ALL WORKS WERE MADE IN 2020-21, Paintings in acrylic, ink & watercolor on washi paper, mounted on wooden specimen drawers
24" x 36" x 1.5" 

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