Elegant Pair
Since moving to southeast Arizona, I’ve begun a series about the plants and animals that live here in the Huachuca Mountains. In spring, Elegant Trogons (Trogon elegans) are found in the canyons along with Arizona Sycamores (Plantanus wrightii). In portraying the pair, I chose to place them in a tree that is both strikingly beautiful and frequently used for nest holes. Trogons calmly settle on a branch and slowly rotate their heads to look for berries. The subtle coloration of the female, as well as the rich plumage of the male, is perfect for watercolor. The sycamore’s pale blended colors and smooth texture, along with the sculptural shapes of its limbs make this one of my favorite trees to paint. To show the relationship of the birds and tree, I located the pair near a nest hole and added a sinuous limb that depicts the properties of growth that produce such unusual nesting cavities.
COLLECTIONS:
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Vanishing Circles Collection
EXHIBITIONS and AWARDS:
Artists For Conservation: The Art of Conservation 2010
Focus on Nature XI International 2011 Exhibition. Jury Award
Guild of Natural Science Illustrators 2010 Exhibition
Description: Elegant Trogons (Trogon elegans)
Media: Transparent Watercolor
Size: 16.5” w x 15” h
Original: SOLD
Archival Print: $350.00
