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Years ago I was in a pet bird phase, and had several of them. First there was Polly the parakeet, then One Guy the cockatiel, then the African Grey Parrot, and finally, Sonny the parakeet. They each provided hours of entertainment, so this painting is in memory of my departed fine feathered friends. SOLD to an anonymous art collector in Placitas, New Mexico

I rediscovered my love for art and found my passion for oil painting after being diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia in 2005. Having previously worked as an audiologist and later in pharmaceuticals, chronic disease forced me to abandon my career to stay home and rest. What I didn't know was that a new opportunity was blooming. During this challenging period of change I was encouraged by my son-in-law, a very talented artist, to "just paint", but shortly thereafter we lost him to suicide. Having inherited the contents of his studio, his influence is present in my work. In the early years of learning to cope with all the loss and limitations that came with this chronic disease I felt...