Pavo(peacock) skull and feathers Painting

Like most of my recent works, I start with hand building a large canvas. Large works can translate bigger messages. I have always had an affinity for skulls and animals, and decided in graduate school that I would start a series of meditative and reflective portraits based on my own skull collection. This skull, in particular, was a male peacock I found as a teenager in a Virginia botanical garden. Although his time had passed on this realm, I noticed his spirit was still speaking through his remnants; 5 green sword-tail feathers and a Skull still open as if trying to make one last "Ka..."!