Birds

Pastel on Pastelmat Board ($POA)

Image size 47cm h x 56 cm w
Framed  83 cm h  x 65 cm w
The Azure Kingfisher is found across northern and eastern Australia, almost always above water. It patrols up and down waterways and rivers from perch to perch flying very fast, and only a few meters off the water, typically making a loud high pitched “seeeeeeeep” call. They are very defensive of their breeding territory and form monogamous pairs. Their nests are hidden away at the end of a burrow, dug out of soil in riverbanks. Both parents incubate and feed the chicks. This pastel artwork captures an Azure Kingfisher in a fragile eco-system, a deep and dark mangrove forest. My artwork has contrasted a monochrome background with the bright blues of the bird, thereby focusing on it and the purity of its environment, hoping to elicit in the viewer an urgent need to protect our critical coastal habitats for future generations.

Pastel on Pastelmat Board ($POA)

Image size 45cm h x 58 cm w
Framed  63 cm h  x 76 cm w
Kookaburras are the unique and much-loved sound of the Australian bush. Despite being “boofy- headed”, they are still considered very handsome birds with an intelligent eye. They have a strong beak and a compact body covered in a beautiful array of whites, browns, and blacks. Who wouldn’t love them? This female was captured in the failing light just outside Lismore, northern NSW, presumably contemplating her next meal. Her peaceful demeanour lent itself to a serene portrait using dramatic lighting for highlighting purposes.

Pastels ($POA)

60 cm H x 48 cm W

Barn owls live alone or in pairs and are excellent hunters, catching their prey in complete darkness, using super-sensitive hearing, and silent flight.
Being nocturnal, they roost quietly by day in unseen places like tree hollows, thickly foliaged trees, caves and rock crevices, buildings and even wells. As Australia is one of the world’s worst offenders when it comes to land clearing, with a projected 3 million hectares of untouched forest to be lost by 2030, one of the biggest threats to Australian owls is loss of habitat. Our owls rely on hollow-bearing trees, often hundreds of years old, for breeding.
As owls are natural predators of rodents, Rat Poison is fast becoming the biggest killers of owls, due to secondary killings. Owls also fall victim to vehicle strikes as they disperse in search of food when local prey populations begin to thin out, or drought conditions affect inland Australia.

Pastel on Pastelmat Board (sold)

94 cm W x 64 cm H
Black cockatoos are the biggest parrots in Australia, and these Yellow-Tails have been painted life size to illustrate just how large they really are. The male (pink eye rim) is a big show off, usually dancing around during breeding season to impress his mate, bopping his head like a rock star, and fluffing up his crest. But they are also very intelligent and loving, often bringing their mate gifts of food, singing to her and preening her feathers to show his affection. The female is less than impressed, often giving him a sharp peck to bring him into line. Hence my title. They mate for life, which can be over 50 years, but sadly they breed slowly, just two eggs, of which only one survives. The chick will stay with its parents for six months before becoming independent. The adult pair will remain together for life, caring tenderly for one another, even after reproductive age has ceased. Their distinctive screech is old bush lore indicating rain is coming, and I always love seeing their huge flocks fly over our property, screaming raucously. They are one of my favourite birds.

Pastel on Pastelmat (Sold)

45 cm W x 45 cm H
Sunset on Lake Ainsworth at Lennox Head, and this Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) was hunting a final meal for the day. Their diet is mainly vegetarian, supplemented by small molluscs, crustaceans, and insects, not bread, which well-meaning but misinformed people often feed them. Due to their “commonness” ducks are often overlooked as subjects to paint, although they have obvious beauty. They are at risk from habitat loss and despite the strong evidence of the extreme suffering involved, four Australian states still allow recreational duck hunting. My artwork aims to draw attention to these ducks, becoming a conversation starter for their protection.

Pastel on Mi Tientes Tex (Sold)

45 cm W x 68 cm H
The Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanusis) is found in a wide range of treed habitats including rainforest and woodlands. It has also acclimatised well to urbanisation and is commonly encountered in well-treed suburbs. They are nectar and pollen feeders and if you look inside a lorikeet’s mouth, you’ll notice that their tongues have uniquely adapted “brushes” on the tips to help them harvest these foods from the plants in their environment. The Rainbow Lorikeet also eats fruits, seeds and some insects. Plant grevilleas and other native flowering bushes in your backyard to attract them, rather than offering honey-coated bread which is extremely unhealthy for them. They are colourful, noisy and cheeky by nature so it’s rare to see them in a quiet grooming pose such as this one.

Pastel on Pastelmat (Sold)

63 cm W x 83 cm H
My hometown has an abundance of Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus), and in fact the Australia Seabird Rescue was founded and based here through the conservation work of a wonderful man Lance Ferris, whom locals affectionately knew as “The Pelican Man”. Lance’s work started in 1992 after he noticed many pelicans injured by fishing line and hooks.  Pelicans were rescued, rehabilitated, and released.  His work soon extended from pelicans to other coastal birds as well as marine turtles. As I was involved in Bird Rehabilitation myself at the time, I often crossed paths with Lance. He was passionate about educating the community, especially school children and fisher-folk, to preserve and protect the coastal environment and all marine wildlife. Australian Seabird Rescue (one of my chosen charities) now works around Australia to protect and rescue seabirds and shorebirds. Seeing pelicans serenely gliding along our waterways, still gives me great delight.

Acrylic on canvas (Sold)

122 cm W x 122 cm H
Willy Wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys) belong to the group of birds affectionately known in birding circles as the ‘Black and Whites’, our common backyard birds. They are small and engaging with their constant sideways wagging of their fantail which earned them the name wagtail. Willie Wagtails feature prominently in indigenous mythology and were disliked by Indigenous people in some areas, as they were thought to loiter at the edge of camps, listening to conversations then telling the secrets elsewhere. The Willie Wagtail was also seen as an ill omen, and they would abandon an expedition if a Willie Wagtail was seen on the morning of departure. This artwork depicts their chattering nature almost as though they are telling each other off, or perhaps sharing THAT secret!

Acrylic on canvas (sold)

122 cm W x 122 cm H
Never has a bird so divided the opinions of visitors coming to my gallery as this Brush Turkey. The Australian Brush Turkey (Alectura lathami), also known as the bush or scrub turkey, has a bad reputation. They are blamed for damaging gardens (making an awful mess as it digs up leaf litter, twigs and dirt to build its egg mound) and darting across roads. Found in eastern Australia from Far North Queensland to the Illawarra in New South Wales, they’ve managed to adapt to life in cities and have also been introduced to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Brush turkey nests or ‘mounds’ are the size of a car and are made up of soil and plant material. Built by the males to attract a mate, they’re essentially large compost heaps, that take the hard-working male about a month to create.
These mounds generate a huge amount of heat and that’s what incubates the eggs — which is lucky because once the eggs are laid the mother is off, and the father only sticks around to defend the mound. When the chicks have left the nest, the leftover mound is a perfect bit of compost for humans to spread out over the garden.

Acrylic on canvas (Sold)

122 cm W x 122 cm H
This painting was one of 8 large canvases that formed the basis of my “Avian Criminals and Other Fine Feathered Friends” exhibition held in 2017 in the Northern Rivers Community Gallery. Each large canvas had a strong background colour and the birds painted thereon were given names that hinted at some kind of rebellion or misdeed. The Crested Pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes) in this painting were chosen because of the whirring sound they make when they rise in fright from the ground. The source of the noise can be attributed to the way the air rushes over a modified primary feather found on the wings. This is most likely to draw the attention of predators to birds on the wing, and away from any birds remaining on the ground, and as an alarm call to other pigeons.

Pastel on Pastelmat (Sold)

46 cm W x 66 cm H
The Eastern Osprey (Pandion cristatus) is a familiar sight on the Ballina/Byron coastline, so I was surprised to learn its status is “vulnerable” in NSW. Osprey often return to the same nest, so habitat destruction and disturbance often disrupts nesting. Discarded fishing tackle, contaminated fish, polluted waterways and electrocution from nesting on powerline poles also pose serious threats. Fortunately, our council has erected several Osprey Breeding Platforms and I am accustomed to see them circling the skies, hear them whistle to each other, and in breeding season, see little fluff balls peek over the nest’s edge. They are a majestic bird.

Acrylic on canvas (Sold)

122 cm W x 122 cm H
The striking red background in this “Avian Criminal” piece hints strongly at the blood thirsty nature of the pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) due to its habit of sometimes storing food items by impaling them on a stick or on barbed wire or shoving them in a nook or crevice. In ironic contrast the pied butcherbird has been considered the most accomplished songbird in Australia, its song described as a “magic flute”. Song melodies vary across the continent and no single song is sung by the whole population. There is no clear demarcation between simple calls and elaborate songs: duets, and even larger choirs, are common. The species improvises extensively in creating new and complex melodies. One of its calls has been likened to the opening bars of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Singing often takes place at dawn, rarely late in the day, but sometimes on moonlit nights.

Ink on Arches paper (Sold)

48 cm W x 68 cm H
Kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae) are terrestrial tree kingfishers found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savannah, as well as in suburban areas with tall trees or near running water. Kookaburras are almost exclusively carnivorous, eating mice, snakes, insects, small reptiles, and the young of other birds; unlike many other kingfishers, they rarely eat fish, although they have been known to take goldfish from garden ponds. They often accept handouts and take meat from barbecues, but feeding kookaburras ground beef or pet food is not advised, as these do not include enough calcium and roughage for their health requirements.

Pastel on Canson paper ($POA)

30 cm W x 36 cm H
Our dog was a very well behaved cattle dog who as a rule didn’t chase wildlife or birds, but there was something about the “pukeko” which drove her crazy. The Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) is a species of swamphen occurring in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand where it is known as the pukeko. They are a handsome bird of the wetlands, Conspicuous blue and black in colour with a gigantic red bill and forehead shield. They have large feet and white under tail feathers which they flick up and down when walking. They are very vocal, often making loud crowing calls and a range of other shorter squawks, including a single note squawk at night.