In May, my husband and I traveled to Panama for a week of unforgettable birding, recording 74 life birds across Panama City, Boquete, and Soberanía National Park. Part 1 covers our half-day adventure along the iconic Pipeline Road Trail, featuring early morning encounters with night monkeys, motmots, and our very first wild toucan.

This post captures a day of quiet discovery in Hyde Park, where nature, sculpture, and everyday moments blend into something quietly extraordinary. Take the walk with me through a series of photographs.

This post shares a look into my process for painting birds, from sketching to bringing them to life on canvas. I talk about breaking the work into manageable sections and focusing on the most important details. My favorite moment is always when the bird’s character shines through at the very end.