"A Fortune River Heron"

A Fortune River Heron - Inspired by kayaking down Fortune River and chasing down herons. I feel like you go through a series of kayaking, seeing a heron, scaring the heron, watching it fly down the river, catching up to it… repeat. Unintentional, but I’m sure they just feel stalked!

I love herons, and really enjoy illustrating them. I’ve done a few now, but but was on of the first and it remains my favourite. I tend to draw in high detail, and sometimes I put true effort into leaving blank space. I put some work into balancing the design and the open space on this little heron. It was made easier by pairing some of my favourite colours together. I have a few pieces now following this same scheme. 

This piece began with a rough pencil sketch, followed by watercolours for a base. I used archival inks (Sakura Microns) over top of the watercolours, using light patterns and design. There’s a fair amount of stippling and overlapping patterns in this work. I practiced my hatching with this one, to give some depth to the layers of feathers and wings.

The colour palette used here is reminiscent of the colours found going along red cliffs and blue waterways along them.

Overall - I hope this piece reflects the things I love about it- Nature and tranquility. This heron, with its balance of colour and intricate patterns, continues to hold a special place in my collection and in my heart.