A young woman opens an envelope, and out flies a Cedar Waxwing. You don’t see that every day!

Following close behind are a Varied Thrush, hummingbird, warbler, and junco.

The art piece Air Mail recently won first prize at the Hummingbird Festival Art Show in Ketchikan. And it was created by our very own Ema Oshima!

Ema said it took about two weeks to complete this piece. Instead of traditional paint materials, she used a digital program to create the art.

She looked up specific species of birds to include, and picked ones that she sees often, like the waxwing. The piece is set at Ward Lake.

The Hummingbird Festival happens every spring in Ketchikan, to celebrate the return of hummingbirds to Alaska.

Congrats Ema! We’re so glad that we’ve gotten to be a part of your journey.