40 × 30 inches | Oil on canvas | SOLD – $550 | Completed November 2023
In 2023 we visited Trinidad and, for the first time in my life, I finally made it to the Caroni Bird Sanctuary. We went in the late afternoon with many members of the Mouttet family and took far too many photos!
The Scarlet Ibis roost in the mangroves there in huge numbers. Their brilliant colour comes from their diet, which includes the small red crabs found in the swamp.
This painting combines several of the photos we took to capture the whole scene. I particularly loved the moment when something startled the birds and hundreds of them rose from their roosts at once. I even managed to include some newer arrivals to the wetlands – flamingos.
Having grown up in Trinidad, it was very special to finally see – and then paint – one of the country’s most iconic birds in its natural habitat.