Cockatoo-dle-doo!

Alf the Cockatoo, Watercolour, 148 x 210mm

I don’t think I’ve ever attempted to paint birds before! However, I felt it was time to extend my portfolio and so I was pleased when I was given a Cockatoo commission!

I like to highlight the aesthetic of watercolour by being playful with each commission; not just to create a hyper-real copy of a photo, but to interpret it in a unique way, a way that gives more agency to the medium of watercolour itself. I find that this balance between control and letting the watercolour dictate my marks, gives my portraits an enchanting ambience. In my opinion, I think this combination of control and no control describes the beauty of life for me. I think I strive to find these elements in my work because I believe animals also have souls and therefore, should be as valued as us humans.

Anyway, that’s why I decided to not clearly define the background of this painting but instead, to give the background a dramatic, gradient wash! I’m a perfectionist and so sometimes I do find it hard that I can’t always control the marks that Watercolour makes, but I’m a firm believer that imperfections can be a beautiful asset in paintings, and it hasn’t been my downfall so far!

As you can see I have added white acrylic for the highlights. I use a white paint pen to add these on and this is really useful for bringing out details such as texture or reflections. I am a sucker for bringing out texture in my paintings and I think this comes from my past studies in textile design.