At first glance, it’s tempting to see Buller as an impressionist. Certainly her bold strokes, dramatic focus and exuberant approach to color are all graduates of that school. But it simply isn’t possible to look at one of Buller’s remarkable studies once without looking again, which is when you’re struck by a marvelously subtle, and subtly brassy, brand of realism that is uniquely her own. Although rendered with a swift and forceful brush, Buller’s birds are perfectly formed and true from crest to claw, ready to leap into life in a flurry of fuss and feathers.

Just as remarkable is Buller’s talent for setting a proper stage. A few blades of grass, or a small twist of branches, are by her skillful hand amplified into aspen glade and green meadow. Behind them, Nature softens into breath and suggestion, presenting a neutral curtain of wonderful richness and depth before which her brightly-costumed virtuosos sing.