I feel really fortunate for the opportunity to illustrate and paint during the six months I’ve spent in Central America. My time here has really expanded my understanding of birdlife, and strengthened all of my skills with which I employ to communicate this understanding to others. I’ve been a bit more familiar with the Orange-breasted Falcon each time I’ve painted it, and on reflection I think it shows in each painting. This has taught me the value of studying structure, plumage, posture, effects of light, and personality in each species I illustrate. Being familiar with your subject (from field study) is integral to rendering it correctly, which means I’ll need to spend more time in the field looking at birds.