The White Hummingbird Sweatshirt

sweatshirts albert bierstadt sweatshirts hummingbird sweatshirts nature sweatshirts wildlife sweatshirts flower sweatshirts

digital art albert bierstadt digital art hummingbird digital art nature digital art wildlife digital art flower digital art

In early June of 2016, a rare white Anna’s hummingbird appeared in the arboretum at the University of California. This was the first recorded sighting of this rare and beautiful bird in Santa Cruz. Since then, thousands of bird enthusiasts have come to see the exceptional bird.
The bird is white do to a melanin deficiency caused by a condition known as Leucism. The white Anna’s hummingbird lacks the cells necessary to absorb the pigment into the feathers. It is different from the genetic condition, albinism, which is caused by the lack of melanin. While this phenomenon is exciting and rare to witness, life for the white hummingbird is precarious. Its lack of color can make the bird unattractive to mates. The lighter plumage provides little camouflage from predators like feral cats and hawks. In addition, the feathers lack the strength to protect the bird from harsh weather. This is a digital painting and composite created with modified background elements from Albert Bierstad...

Spadecaller is an experienced traditional artist, who creates original hand-painted digital images and photo composite artworks. In the late fifties at eight years old, Spadecaller started formal training in traditional oil painting.Through considerable personal sacrifice, his mother nurtured his artistic talents and provided him with the tools to launch his creative journey. Spadecaller attended The School of Visual Arts in New York City (1970-71), and during the 70's up until the late 80's, he exhibited acrylic and oils in Montreal and New York. Due to the onset of chronic illness in the late nineties and with the advent of image editing software, he turned to creating digital hand painted images and photographic art. Artwork by...