Costa Rican Motmot is an original piece of art by Christy Gunnels. This original oil painting measures 12" x 12." Similarly to many of Christy's other works, this painting shows the Costa Rican Motmot, a bird native to central america, in camera-like detail.

"A couple of years ago at the end of a day’s studio work, I decided to take the paint from my palette and smear it all over a new board. I kept this up for several work sessions until the board became visually stimulating. Around this time I had also been photographing the birds at our bird feeders. I started incorporating the birds on these painted boards, noticing in some cases the ground reflecting the movement and fleeting presence of the bird. I found this approach a nice change of process for me, and a way to incorporate some abstract work into the observation of the bird and its essence."

Materials

Unframed oil on panel

About the Artist

Christy Gunnels, originally an Arkansan, has lived and worked on the south coast of Massachusetts for many years. She received her MFA from Bard College where she studied with Regina Granne, David Diao and Allen Cote. Her paintings result from a process that begins with looking intensely and persistently at the subject and continues to deepen with the discovery of subtleties in color and form. The reinvention and representation of the subject and how to re-purpose it creates new mysteries, understandings, and enjoyment for the viewer.

Explore her collection.