Pastel on Supertooth paper

93 X 68cm.

Some people say they are never feel so alive as when they are in nature and I know this to be true of myself. I only have to step outside my studio/gallery door and onto the deck to be reminded of the splendour that is nature at its finest. Common though they may be and even regarded as a pest in some places the sulphur crested cockatoo is still a stunningly beautiful bird. When they come whiffling down from high in the sky, I am forever stunned by their translucent beauty. From the snow-white plumage to the sulphur yellow underwing and crest feathers they are a pure joy. Even their dark eyes seem to overflow with a deep sense of mischief and it is not until they release a painfully ear-splitting 120 decibel screech and I plant my fingers firmly in my ears that maybe my love for them fades just a little.

This pastel painting has been an interesting journey into the high key end of the tonal scale. I strived for the translucence of the cockies in flight when they just seem to materialise from out of the very air itself. I have titled it 'Down from the skies' and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.