During the pandemic, one form of free therapy was bird-watching; while our world was unstable and chaotic, the birds remained a constant presence around our balcony. Simply observing little creatures chirping and flitting about was a daily, soothing, delight. As some of the oldest species, birds too have survived their own catastrophes, and I wanted to honor not just their tenacity - by portraying familiar birds - but also where their evolutions might lead - with imaginative colors and markings. Though I chose local species when first beginning the series, I wanted (and needed) to widen my horizons when they were closing in, leading to my interest in bigger and more exotic birds.