Saray Ramirez Chaves started painting tropical birds on feathers when she was 17. Since that time she has studied art in France and continues to provide art for Costa Rica. Saray paints on feathers using acrylics. If you like butterflies, tropical birds, parrots, macaws, tucans and frogs, This Central American art is for you.
The most beautiful feather paintings are on the Macaw tail feather or on parakeet feathers. Costa Rica sets aside about 20% of its most valuable mountain and coastland realestate for use as nature conservatories. Included are bird santuaries. Feathers used by artists throughout Costa Rica were gathered in these santuaries after being dropped by the birds. These were sold by the box to artists. An industry and art was developed with these feathers. Sadly the sale of these feathers is now forbidden and due to CITES laws the feathers cannot be transported internationally. The demand for these feathers has dropped to almost nothing. People realizing they cannot take these tropical feathers home do not buy them. If you find a Costa Rican artist in the US, you can legaly have feathers from your own parrots painted. Feathers from wild feathers cannot be used.
Saray paints on card sized feathers or full sized red, green and scarlett Macaw feathers. Due to the CITES restrictions on export of Parrot feathers, most feather painting in Costa Rica and all Latin America is on duck and turkey feathers.
Saray uses all the colors associated with the tropics, The birds, animals and flowers are very colorful. Many people use art to set the mood of a room. These paints with produce a cheerful, light mood in the room. Nature expecially the colorful tropics provide a very uplifting feel. I think these paintings could be sent for that same reason flowers are sent. They will last a long time, and always be cheerful. Do you have a room that needs some cheer or do you know somebody who needs a little cheer: Send a painted feather with the flowers. If you are thinking of sending a card to someone and like to make your own cards but need some colorful art for your card, a hand painted feather will provide great color to your card.
Painting of a Quetzal and the Tucan on a feather
This feather contains a painting of the popular Macaw and Tucan bird
This is a painting of the Costa Rican Birds; a and Tucan and a Macaw painted on a duck feather.
Saray does a great job paintings on feathers. Here is a butterfly painted with flowers. Notice how real the butterfly looks
Here are twin Macaw parrots painted on a feather.
