Kererū watercolour painting
One of the coolest birds on my life list last year was the kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) or New Zealand pigeon. This bird is something to behold - it has an absolutely huge body compared to its head, and makes a very distinctive sound when taking flight - with big feathers come noisy wingbeats! Interestingly, the Kererū is the only remaining New Zealand bird capable of swallowing large fruit, which makes it an important seed disperser for native trees. One of the challenges I faced with this painting was how to create a feeling of movement and energy but still balance the incredible range of colours in the feathers with an understated background. I relied on buff titanium and Payne's grey for the background, and for the bird I used Naphthamide Maroon, Turquoise, Jadeite Green, Quinacridone Magenta, and Indigo. Prints are available in my Etsy shop
