"Everlasting Hope" for Endangered Species...The Blue Macaw

I was very moved by the story of the Blue Spix's Macaw, the beautiful parrot featured in the move "Rio" and decided to create this painting celebrating them in a burst of bright, vivid colors, and call it "Everlasting Hope".  As of now there are only around 250 of these brilliant blue birds left in the world, and only in captivity, they no longer exist in the wild.  But, there is hope that someday they can be reintroduced and once again flourish and grace the jungles of Brazil with their brilliant blue beauty.  There is so much positivity with the conservation efforts being made around the world to save endangered species that I think it's important to bring attention to all the hard work going towards saving the animals, and the planet.

I've decided to focus a lot of my art on animals and nature, but not in a way that highlights the sadness and negativity of endangered or extinct species, but rather to share the beauty of the natural world to raise awareness of what we will be losing out on if we don't protect and conserve our home, planet earth.  We all have a role to play in protecting this planet, and that requires us to be who we are and follow our passions for the greater good.  I live by the positivity rule, to bring joy, happiness and awareness to others through my art, to preserve our planet for longevity.  

I believe I can have more impact by starting the narrative with positivity and highlighting the beauty that is all around us, and what better way than with vibrantly beautiful colors and subjects that are uplifting and fun!  There are plenty of other activists who follow a different path to bring awareness, but for me I want to do so through rich, vibrant art that reflects the diversity of life around us.

This painting was a challenge as I added lots of details, especially the bubbles, something I've never really painted a lot of.  But, I kept working on until it finally came together and I'm so happy with the positive and fun vibe it exudes.  Rich, Vibrant colors always make me happy and hope anyone who sees this painting feels the same, we need more positive, uplifting art that also brings awareness.

​A portion of the proceeds from my MAD wonderland collection sales, is donated to Re:wild (formerly know as Global Wildlife Conservation), an organization I have collaborated with, and continue to contribute to. "We believe that together, we can protect and restore those ecosystems critical to the health of our planet—from the Amazon to Australia and from Borneo to our own backyards. We are excited to embark on this journey, because we believe that, together, we can rewild our world.." (Co-founded by Leonardo Dicaprio.)