Red-rumped Parrots (Psephotus haematonotus)

Oil on canvas board, size 61 cm x 30.5 cm
SOLD – private collection, canberra
inspiration
Birds on a wire is a recurring theme in my work.
I find the contrast between human-made forms and natural forms to be very appealing in an artistic sense.
I like the challenge of creating a truthful portrayal of different textural forms – the gnarled surface of old fenceposts, oxidised wire, delicate soft plumage. Achieving it brings great satisfaction. Not least because I draw upon the remembered sensory experience of each texture.
I designed this artwork after birdwatching on the Murray River, South Australia. A flock of red-rumped parrots gathered on power lines at dusk and this fleeting image of a companionable pair stayed in my mind until I painted it.
artist’s process
- balance in composition doesn’t necessarily require symmetry
- I create a thumbnail sketch then use pencil to draw the design directly onto the canvas board