Storm Petrel, 18 x 24 inches

It is thought that the word "petrel" is from "Peter" and is a biblical reference to St. Peter (Matthew XIV: 29-30), as these birds appear to walk on the water when they feed. In this painting, the feeding bird not only hovers delicately over the water, but also seems caught in a pose of genuflection - an intriguing pictorial situation, realized here through an austere palette and dense layers of paint.