Overheard in the Conservation Aviary



9/11/12 Lamy fountain pen, waterproof ink, watercolor

“Kinda looks like a guinea, Bubba – a souped-up guinea.”

 

Souped up, indeed. The bird that this visitor was referring to is the Nicobar pigeon cautiously pecking near our feet in the Woodland Park Zoo’s Conservation Aviary. Unfortunately, my painting skills couldn’t touch the bird’s iridescent green, blue and violet feathers fanning around it like an extravagant cape. (My paint swatch at right was another attempt to capture those colors.) The northern helmeted curassow, also found in the aviary, wasn’t much easier to paint, although I think I got at least the shape of the distinctive casque on its head right.

 

In the Tropical Rainforest exhibit, I did a slightly better paint job on the keel-billed toucan’s bright hues.

9/11/12 Lamy fountain pen, watercolor

9/11/12 Lamy fountain pen, watercolor