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.
(Artwork - 128)
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana)
One of the questions I'm most frequently asked about any painting is how
long did I take to do it. This small painting of a pair of Green
Kingfishers, took eighteen years, give or take a year or so. But that's
because I started it when I was living in another part of Markham. Knowing I
was going to move into another house in 1999 (and studio, really the master
bedroom) I finished the two birds so I could return reference specimens to
the museum and I also filled in the background immediately surrounding them
and a little more…about half the painting…then stored it. I kept getting
interested in new projects and every so often thought I should finish this
painting, and finally, last spring, I did.
Kingfishers are among my favourite bird families to paint, I think in part
because all species of kingfisher invariably have interesting shapes and
patterns, are a size that is easy to do life-size (my preference) and tend
to strike what are, to me, esthetically pleasing poses. But also they are
vibrant birds, full of "attitude" and "character". They have loud voices and
a significant "presence".
But there is only one species in Canada, the Belted, and a handful of other
species in the Americas, all of which I have seen and painted at one time or
another. Most species occur in Africa and the Austral-Asian region where
they are enormously variable in shape, size, habits and behaviour, but all
that I've encountered are still typically kingfishers and a delight to see
and to paint. All have relatively tiny feet with two of the three forward
toes fused at the base and a short hind toe, and can only sort of shuffle
when on the ground. While not all species eat fish, all have strong, sturdy
beaks, often, as is true of the Green, relatively long. Greens eat all
manner of small, aquatic animals including insects, fish and small
crustaceans.
The Green is one of four neotropical species that have a moderately
iridescent, oily- green back and some degree of chestnut, at least in the
male plumage, on the underparts. This is this an approximately life-size
painting of a pair, the male is the lower figure, the female above. This
species barely makes it into the U.S. along the Mexican-U.S. border, but the
range extends well south to as far as northern Chile.
Typical of kingfishers in the western hemisphere they occur around streams,
rivers, ponds, and make their nests at the ends of burrows dug into soil
embankments. Both sexes dig the burrow, about a meter (3 feet) in length.
Females incubate eggs at night, and share incubation with the male during
daylight.
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Copyright © Barry Kent MacKay
Barry describes himself as a Canadian artist/writer/naturalist.
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