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Distractions

$6,950.00

Distractions (Superb Fairy Wrens) Original Watercolour on museum board 39.5cm x 42cm

Frances’s Inspiration: “On one of my many, bird photography reference-gathering walks, I came across a charming family of Superb Fairy-wrens, twittering and hopping among a stunning purple flowering plant which, after some research, I later discovered is a Mountain Kangaroo-Apple, named because the small edible fruits look a little like kangaroo footprints. The entire scene was just begging to be painted. Combining eight reference photos, this was indeed a challenge to ensure the lighting and scale of all elements remained consistent. The two females are distracted by a beautiful Common Brown butterfly while the male in all his resplendent glory keeps on the lookout for any potential dangers. This is my first attempt at painting a butterfly, a challenging but most enjoyable exercise. Superb Fairy-wrens always forage in groups not only for safety, but if insects are disturbed by one bird, they may be caught by another. They may use a “rodent run” to distract predators from nests with chicks. The bird runs rapidly and voices a continuous alarm call while its head, neck and tail are lowered. The females that engage in this practice look remarkably like small mice”.

Original artwork by Frances McMahon.

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