Living in New York with our Zone 7 climate, the only Birds of Paradise I see are in greenhouses since they’re tropical plants and would not survive in our Northeastern winter freezing temperatures. I’ve only seen them as specimen plants but since I’m currently visiting California, I was surprised to see these stunning flowers growing in abundance in many of the parking lot islands throughout the shopping areas. They sure add a cheerful note to the landscape. I have often thought of featuring one of these flowers in a painting, but generally, I don’t like to paint such aggressive and angular forms. I lean toward the soft feminine rather than the angular male imagery. But the colors in the Bird of Paradise, AKA Strelitzia reginae are so stunning, one day I’ll be compelled to paint them.

These daily studio notes lead toward my 2026 solo exhibitions in New York City and  Poughkeepsie, NY.