I've strayed away from my gloomy and melancholic styles for this piece, dipping into the fantastical and the bright and bold colour I usually neglect to paint.

This is a present to my parents. To hang in the dining room. My mother loved an older painting of mine and has kept requesting it in print, however I dispair to look at it, and so I have painted a new one. Just in time for Christmas.

This piece also holds a lot of personal thoughts and emotions for me. I have let go of a lot of what has been on my shoulders.

Reference was used for the birds from books, magazines and google. I also studied quite a few masks, especially those that are worn in the Venice Masquerade. The pose was inspired by a photo I had saved to my harddrive.

Photoshop CS2.
As always, please tell me how this makes you feel.