Dappled Things – SOLD

Dappled Things (Spotted Pardalotes) Original Watercolour 27cm x 19cm on Fabriano Artistico 640gsm mounted on museum board – SOLD

Frances’s Inspiration: “The famous poem “Pied Beauty” by Gerard Manley Hopkins begins with the line, “Glory be to God for dappled things”. This curtail sonnet highlights the beauty of variegated, speckled and imperfect nature. Indeed, I could have painted the birds (in all their dappled beauty!) on leaves that were perfect, but it so happened that they were perched among spotted and diseased leaves that subtly continue the theme in a charming way.

I’ve painted many pardalotes over the years. However, I never tire of their energetic personalities and stunning plumage.

Weighing only around 6 grams and 8 to 10cm long, pardalotes are among the smallest of Australia’s birds. There are three recognised subspecies of the Spotted Pardalote, of which the nominate subspecies (P. punctatus punctatus) is depicted here. Females are slightly duller and browner, with a buff-coloured throat and yellow spots on the crown. The nest is an underground horizontal oval chamber lined with shredded bark. Occasionally birds have used carpet rolls to nest in. Pairs breed once a year, producing a clutch of 3 to 4 shiny round eggs. Pairs make a somewhat incessant two-note call throughout the day, which may carry for some distance. The first call is from one bird, the second call is from the partner, which may come from two different locations, making locating them difficult.”

Original artwork by Frances McMahon