This portrait is a later iteration of a small series of paintings depicting half-animal, half mechanical creatures. Its genesis lay in a story by the author's wife, Kit Reed, titled "Automatic Tiger" about a wondrous jungle automaton. Joe Reed painted an image of the tiger for his wife's birthday one year, and proceeded to render several American icons in a similar fashion, including Hayworth and the director, John Ford. An automatic orangutan may be found in the "Prints section of this site.