Barry Kent MacKayArt by Barry Kent MacKay
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In this section are copies of original works of art. All of them are dedicated to helping us live according to unconditional love and compassion, which is the foundation of our peaceful means of bringing true and lasting peace to all of God's creatures, whether they are human beings or other animals.

Baikal Teal (Anas formosa)


Barry MacKay Baikal Teal (Anas formosa)
(Artwork - 083)
Baikal Teal
(Anas formosa)

This pretty little duck is named after Lake Baikal, in eastern Russia, where it nests, although it migrates south and east, and so the ones I saw in the wild were in Japan, in the early spring, and the memory of that first viewing of wild ones on a shallow pond near Kyoto influenced this painting.

Most ducks fly in formations that consist of strung out strings, or shallow “V” formations, but the Baikal Teal, also known as the Baikal Duck, is famous for flying in huge swarms, like starlings who move in a co-ordinated manner, bunching up and then spreading out, like smoke.

starlings murmuration
Photo: AP/Yonhap
Source:
Mick Hartley

While those massive flocks may give the impression of great abundance, the species was once thought to be in decline. Latest evidence is that it is surviving well, and its range extends far beyond Lake Baikal (which is, incidentally, the deepest fresh-water lake in the world, and possibly the most ancient).

I have shown several birds and that allows me to show some minor variations between them.

This painting was a bit different than most of the ones I do, being done in oils on a special board that has a regular but textured surface, rather like the traditional linen canvas, but a bit more “tooth”, as artists call it. This allows for certain effects, using oils, such as a smooth flow of paint, but at the expense of detail. I am trying more oil painting these days, and experimenting with different ways of using them.

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Copyright © Barry Kent MacKay
Barry describes himself as a Canadian artist/writer/naturalist.
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