Goulds Jewelfront and Blue-Throated Hummingbird

Robert Lostutter learned about drawing, nature- and bird-watching, and taxidermy in childhood, all of which shaped his mature style and imagery. A visit to Mexico in 1974 led him to the subject matter of hybrid bird-men, which he depicted in possession of the otherworldly beauty of tropical birds, especially their dramatic feathers. He adorned them with feathers from Mexico, later including bird feathers from other locales (the Caribbean, Hawaii, Cambodia, and Thailand). Eventually, plumage evolved from masks to integrate parts of the figure’s physicality. (Compare to Smart Museum 1998.64.)

Lostutter often made his early works on paper as studies for much larger oil paintings. (See Smart Museum 1985.6.) However, as his technique has evolved, his watercolors grow more intricate and detailed. He achieves astonishing detail using small brushes, including one designed with a single hair. He builds up layers of color, beginning with a light wash of color, gone over with a stroking of more light color. He builds tones from light to dark, and back again from dark to light. If changes are required, he re-paints the entire image again. (It can take two or three rounds to get it right.) As a result, they begin to look almost like oil paintings.