Our bird population is seriously threatened by the avian flu.

Wild waterfowl and shorebirds spread this highly contagious virus and, although some species are more resilient to the flu, there is a certain strain of the virus that causes mass disease and mortality. One witness to the devasting effects of the avian flu described it as if birds were dropping from the sky. How horrific. How sad. And this is not just happening in “some other place.” The virus has been detected in all 50 states and found in more than 100 different species of wild birds around the world.

The microscopic images of the avian virus are the inspiration for this series of paintings. There is a beauty in the colors, organic shapes, and abstract design of these images. I was intrigued by the dichotomy. Something so horrible and threatening, yet on the molecular level so exquisite.