Rosie Ratigan Fine Art

Oriole Past and present is a painting from the UW Art of Hybridization series. This painting depicts the moving of the oriole species over time and weather changes. On the left side of the painting of a new Nebraska farm house, the cottonwood tree is small, rain clouds building, green lush crops in the field and two Bullock's Oriole and one hybrid oriole. The middle painting a decade later the cottonwood tree has grown, not as many clouds and moisture, crops are smaller and there are only hybrid orioles. The painting on the right, several decades later with dryer conditions, larger cottonwood tree and has all Baltimore orioles which tells the story how eastern birds are moving west.

This project was funded by a University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute Novel Outreach and Education Grant.