Kate’s Featured Art Series

Rainbow Bird Series

into the wind

I loved teaching art history and one of the fascinating things about it is learning all about ancient mythological stories. After recognizing consistent patterns in mythology, it occurred to me that imaginary creatures were profoundly interesting and that I could develop my own mythical tale to serve as a basis for a series of paintings. My own mythic concept became The Rainbow Birds Series and over the past twenty years I have related the story of these creatures.

These birds come from an expanse of intensely bright caverns located deep within the earth. They freely pass through the earthly realm, sometimes apparent to humans as a tiny flash of multicolored light. In mythology, many creatures have an attribute that serves as a flaw or weakness that often shifts to be an advantage in particular circumstances. Rainbow Birds have the unusual characteristic of being blind. Their blindness allows them to travel in areas of intensely bright light. As it follows, one of the roles of Rainbow Birds is to lead children who are passing from this realm into the next.

  • into the wind

    Into the Wind

    This painting shows five rainbow birds dart through a cloudy sky. (2008)
    Media: Oil/acrylic on canvas
    38” H x 50” W

  • frenzy

    Frenzy

    Rainbow birds react to the intense reflected light spinning and diving in all directions. (2022)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    30” H x 40” W

  • swoop

    Swoop

    A flock of rainbow birds diving from high in the sky. (2022)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    38” H x 48” W

  • waltz

    Waltz

    Rainbow birds spinning in circles in varying light on a cloudy day. (2022)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    36” H x 48” W

  • apparation II

    Apparation II

    Rainbow Birds moving from one realm to another. (2015)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    40” H x 30” W

  • the summoning

    The Summoning

    The Summoning depicts Rainbow Birds about to take flight from a branch. (2018)
    Media: Oil / Acrylic on canvas
    40” H x 30” W

  • in the forest

    In the Forest

    Two rainbow birds flying through an earthly forest are concealed by their emerald color. (2019)
    Media: Oil / Acrylic on canvas
    24” H x 20” W

  • genesis

    Genesis

    Bright light surrounds the young rainbow bird. (2015)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    24” H x 18” W with wood framing but no glass

  • amber I

    Amber I

    These two rainbow birds are going clockwise in a spinning manner. (2015)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    14” H x 11” W with homemade strip wood frame

  • amber II

    Amber II

    Two Rainbow birds spinning in a counter-clockwise circle. (2015)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    14” H x 11” W with homemade strip wood frame

  • dive

    Dive

    A rainbow bird diving in a new direction. (2018)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    12” H x 9” W with homemade strip wood frame

  • emerald

    Emerald

    Two green rainbow birds flying towards the same point. (2015)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    12” H x 9” W with homemade strip wood frame

  • reaching

    Reaching

    Two rainbow birds preparing to land. (2014)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    12” H x 9” W with homemade strip wood frame

  • shadow

    Shadow

    Two rainbow birds taking off right before dawn. (2015)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    12” H x 9” W with homemade strip wood frame

  • silver

    Silver

    Even rainbow birds look older in the cool light of dusk. (2015)
    Media: Acrylic on canvas
    14” H x 11” W with homemade strip wood frame