The Inspiration behind this Piece:

There are 4 species of puffins worldwide, and the U.S. is blessed to claim populations of all 4.  They include the Atlantic Puffin (as in this painting, which I observed on Machias Seal Island in Maine), and the Horned Puffin, Tufted Puffin, and Rhinoceros Auklet (which, though different in appearance, is actually a puffin and NOT an auklet!)  I encountered all three of these species during a summer in Alaska.

Puffins are great fun to watch as they hurtle along on their short little wings, bringing back beaks full of fish to woo their prospective future mates, and later, to underground burrows hidden between boulders or rock crevices to feed to their downy puffball chicks.  They are not the most graceful at landing, which is often quite comical to watch!  But what they lack aeronautically, they make up for with their stunning underwater dives, literally flying through the ocean in pursuit of their fish.

This painting was titled “The Suitors”, as each male presents something different to his object of affection, hoping to be chosen # 1 best provider, winning the right to father the next generation!