These energetic little birds are found in the pine forests of the southeastern US. I used to see them fairly frequently on my father’s land in Wendell, which is about as far west as they range. Their numbers have been greatly diminished due to habitat loss. An area photographer took the reference photo for this work; unfortunately, I can’t remember his name and can’t find the photo online anymore. Getting a good photograph of a wild bird is hard, getting a good photo of two at once is a rare feat. I’d never seen a pair of birds caught posing in sync like this and I knew immediately this would make a great painting.