Rufous Hummingbirds ~ "Oh How Lucky Am I" ~ "Songbirds & Friends" ~ Watercolor

This rufous hummingbird watercolor captures a pair of the fiercest tiny birds in North America. "Oh How Lucky Am I" celebrates the rufous hummingbird — a copper-orange jewel with a temper that far exceeds its size. Rufous hummingbirds will chase birds ten times their weight away from a feeder. They migrate 3,000 miles on wings the size of a coin. They are absurdly brave, absurdly beautiful, and painting them felt like a privilege.

I worked freehand on archival cotton rag paper using Kissho Gansai pigments from Kyoto. The rufous coloring — a deep, burnished copper-orange that catches light like metal — demanded pigments with natural warmth and depth. The Gansai minerals delivered. I built the iridescent throat gorget through layered wet-on-wet washes, letting the color shift from orange to ruby to gold as it would in life. Two hummingbirds in one composition required careful balance — each bird needed its own energy while sharing the frame.

This is one of the most vibrant pieces in my Songbirds & Friends collection. Rufous hummingbirds migrate farther relative to their body size than almost any other bird — 3,000 miles on a body that weighs less than a nickel. That toughness deserves to be celebrated, and the Gansai copper and ruby pigments let me honor the bird's fire. My classical training at the New York Academy of Art informs the precision required to paint birds this small — every proportion matters when the entire subject fits in the palm of your hand. It brings radiant warmth and spirited energy to any room. One of a kind on archival cotton rag paper. Free shipping, complimentary insurance, and certificate of authenticity included. Framing options available.

Materials:  Each watercolor original is unique, the only one of its kind. Created on 300lb Arches Watercolor Paper with Japanese Sumi-é watercolor paint designed to last a lifetime.

Framing: Each piece is elegantly presented with light grey matting in a handmade wooden frame with a grey-washed finish. UV plexiglass and archival materials ensure long-lasting preservation. Crafted with care, our frames are 1.5" deep and handcrafted from solid wood by our trusted local framer.

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