Feathers & Flora
A Pacific Northwest Story!
Ashwini’s signature collection of Birds and Blooms
Welcome!Seeds of Creation
Born in India, I was shaped by color in its most intuitive, joyful, expressive way. A decade in the Pacific Northwest refined my palette into the poetry of four seasons—misty springs, luminous summers, glowing autumns, and quiet winters.
“Feathers & Flora: A Pacific Northwest Story” is where these two worlds, my childhood in India and my life in the PNW unite! My love letter to the birds and blooms of the PNW. Each painting centers a native bird, with flowers and forests as its chorus. Complementary colors move like dancers, illuminating light and harmony.
As a yogi and teacher, I move with the pulse of opposites: light and shadow, stillness and movement, structure and flow, Shiva and Shakti, each celebrating its counterpart. This philosophy manifests in my work through a focus on light as an expression of shadow, inspired by the Old Masters’ use of Chiaroscuro. Light in my work is alive, guiding balance & awareness through every painting.
Feathers and Flora - Spring 2026 Collection
My
Process!Illuminated Inception
I begin with the underpainting, using a Sepia Grisaille and warm earth tones. I sketch and block the composition with geometric precision to guide light and shadow.
Next, I build layers of the full color spectrum, blending classical realism with impressionistic expression. My use of the Sfumato technique softens edges, creating seamless atmosphere as a radiant veil of color.
My paintings are rooted in a deep commitment to color. I build planes of color like facets on a diamond, merging the vibrancy of India with the rigor of Western European painting traditions. Guided by nature and life across continents, my work unites the inner and the outer world.
My
Philosophy!Uniting Cultures
My love of painting birds comes from my mother, a passionate birdwatcher and photographer in India, and my husband whose care keeps our garden feeders always full.
The Pacific Northwest is full of gifts I hold dear, the majestic mountains, lavender fields, tulip gardens, and the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington, where I served as a Yoga Teacher Training Lead Faculty for a beautiful decade.
I weave all of these beloved places and moments into my paintings, inviting you to experience the joy with me. Each piece hums with the subtle continuum that connects nature, light, and consciousness inspired by both my childhood in India and life in the Pacific Northwest.
Explore the Collection
-
![]()
The Blessing of Blossoms
A Chickadee among cherry blossoms captures the tender spring of the Pacific Northwest. Soft pinks and purples unfold against a Yellow–Violet palette, with warm ochre illuminating the bird. Walking beneath these blossoms with my husky puppy, I watch the buds unfurl, bloom, and drift to the ground, a fragrant meditation on fleeting beauty. -
![]()
The Mystic of Magenta
A Pileated Woodpecker delights the Magnolia blossoms deep in the forest. A Red–Green palette infused with magenta invites vitality, mystery, and ancient woodland wisdom. -
![]()
The Messenger of Mountains
Inspired by the view of Tiger and Squak Mountains from my studio and my visits to lavender farms across the Pacific Northwest, a Goldfinch perches on fresh lavender as the peaks glow in the morning mountain sunrise. A Yellow–Violet complementary palette celebrates new beginnings, radiant and full of hope. -
![]()
The Keeper of Equinox
A luminous Robin among glowing Maple leaves stands as a guardian of the season. An Orange–Blue complementary palette reflects the autumn equinox, balancing light and dark. -
![]()
The Voice of Winter
An illuminated Cardinal sings from a Red Cherry tree in a snowy landscape, inspired by my Seattle Arboretum visit. Rendered in a Red–Green palette, the painting honors winters’s quiet and inner warmth.
Backyard
Buddies
Backyard Buddies series, born from daily encounters in my own garden. I plant blooms to attract birds, they return moments of lively presence, vibrant color, and sweet companionship.
Familiar wondrous guests the Western Tanager, Hummingbird, Red House Finch, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-headed Blackbird appear in these intimate paintings, paired with complementary hue backdrops honoring the Science of Color & the joy of coexistence.
A Little Bird Told Me!
At the heart of this exhibition is my
self-portrait, “A Little Bird Told Me!”
a charming conversation with
one-of-a-kind bird born in my dream.
One day, a joyful vision arose, a surprise bird shaped by memory & imagination. A synthesis of five companions that have shaped my life in the Pacific Northwest, the Steller’s Jay, whose bold blue color captivated me when I first arrived; the American Robin, familiar and persistent, tapping at my window as if in discussion; the Yellow Goldfinch, whose delicate white markings on dark wings caught my eye; the Cardinal, whose throat carries depth and the Woodpecker whose necklace showers grace.
From them emerged a single being, the Robin’s orange belly, the Jay’s blue wing and crest, the Cardinal’s deep throat, the Goldfinch’s white patterning and the Woodpecker’s necklace united.
My painting with an Orange-Blue palette unfolds within a forest garden, where roses appear as symbols of love and continuity. I am reminded of rose gardens from my school in India and from the University of Washington campus, where I taught yoga for a decade. Behind us rise the tall forest trees of the Pacific Northwest, inspired by my hikes on Cougar Mountain, offering support, wisdom and a sense of grounding. A little bird told me a secret that life is beautiful and creative. This painting holds that message and now it is yours too!
The Inspiration
For this self-portrait I draw inspiration from Old Master Jogesh Chandra, Marie Spartali Stillman, Leonardo da Vinci where birds serve as companions, witnesses, and narrative beings. In these works the bird is not ornament but story, an equal presence in interaction and reflection.
This series draws inspiration from Kachō-ga, a traditional Japanese art genre, specially ukiyo-e woodblock prints that celebrates birds and flowers with elegance, sensitivity and seasonal awareness. The term translates to “Images of Flowers and Birds”.
The rest of the paintings in this beautiful collection is a mix of small and medium, personal favorite birds and blooms of the PNW. Many began as studies for larger compositions but developed personalities of their own. Each tells a loving story, the rhythm of seasons, the abundance of nature, and the simple joy of color and life.
Rooted in engineering and yoga, my practice approaches painting as a balance of form and flow. Engineering allows me the precision, and interconnectedness, while yoga attunes me to breath, rhythm and the subtle energies of life. Together, they guide my hand, eye and the soul, allowing each composition to emerge as a fusion of intellect & intuition, form and movement a mindful architecture of color and light.
Feathers & Flora reveals the Pacific Northwest as a living geometry, birds in flight, flowers in bloom, light weaving through it all. Through color and shape it invites you to establish your presence, lean in, listen, and experience the songs and fragrance of life.
