Cartão Beija Flor ("Flower Kisser") Hummingbird Painting

"Beija Flor" means "flower kisser" in Portugeuse. This summer has been full of visits from hummingbird energy in various ways and it only seemed appropriate to honor these beautiful creatures with a portrait that recognizes their sublime and joyous spirit. After nearly a year at home in Texas, this is how I felt to get back out on the road and join my friends for festival season, where I painted this piece to two weekends full of amazing musicians in Arizona and Colorado... (What flower is he kissing? Why, the 1000-petaled lotus connecting us to God, of course – the "glass chrysanthemum" or Sahasrara chakra that mediates our soul's descent to matter, and through which various spiritual traditions direct attention at the time of death. What better place to plant a kiss? What delicious nectar!)