This is the fourth in my ongoing “Pinnacle” series and focuses on the beautiful Costa’s Hummingbird. These especially tiny birds are the definition of “Jewel-like” with their dark colored heads that flash a shocking, iridescent violet in the right light. I encountered this particular bird in the hummingbird aviary of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, though now that I am living in Arizona, I have a much greater chance of seeing these little gems in my own garden.

Most bodies of work help to suggest the next body of work, and such is the case here with the “Pinnacle” series. In 2017 my show, A Different Animal, included a body of work called “Ornaments,” which featured a variety of birds interacting with or perching on golden baubles. In the Pinnacle series, those baubles have evolved into exaggerated plinths terminating in delicate perches for hummingbirds. As with the Ornaments, the use of precious metal leaf compliments the sparkling quality of the birds’ exotic plumage and imbues great value to a tiny creature that could easily, and regrettably, be overlooked. Atop its high and regal perch, the hummingbird perches like a precious stone in a high setting. It’s worth pointing out that the strong sense of verticality as well as the tension, balance, and poise essential to these pieces is also an outgrowth of the Totem series.