Isolated at home and in my studio during the time of Covid 19, I turned to travel sketchbooks for new paintings. It was wonderful to revisit, in my work, Costa Rican birding trips -- the colors, amazing birds, flora, and the search. I discovered that hummingbirds have traditionally symbolized joy, resilience, and adaptability. Those characteristics seemed especially useful during the pandemic. The concept of spotting birds in a forest gap became a compositional element. But in fact, the birds were often deeply hidden among layers and layers of leaves, branches. Exploring density and the surprising detail of close observation - what is hidden and what revealed – is a recurring theme in my work.