Flamingoes have always fascinated me. As a young girl, I was constantly captivated by their bright grapefruit and coral shades. For this piece, I studied their different feather patterns and painted what I observed. The two centered flamingos reminded me of The Merchant of Venice: Shylock, the greedy moneylender, and Antonio, the generous merchant, hence my title, “40 Pounds of Feathers.”