“Whilst visiting friends I spotted a flash of bright blue outside their window. It was an Australian Splendid Fairy Wren! I grabbed my phone for a shot but he was jumping and darting about so quickly that he was impossible to capture. The next afternoon I was hooked, sitting outside under the trees, quietly waiting in the hope of his return.
It is common to see a bright blue male Fairy Wren surrounded by his brown family and I presumed they were a bit like a harem. Actually, juvenile male wrens start off brown as young birds so the group I saw could have been young Fairy Wrens. The male Splendid Wren sheds his bright blue feathers in the year, sporting his best coat during mating season – a real catch!
It was such fun to paint this piece and I hope it brings you as much joy as it does to me.”
Helen Ansell
Rather Splendid is also available as Fine Art Paper and Canvas Prints.
Fine Art Paper Prints – These giclée quality prints are printed on Fine Art smooth paper 220gsm. Using archival ink, all have a lightfastness under glass and away from direct sunlight of greater than 200 years.
Canvas Prints – These high quality pieces are available to purchase either stretched (gallery wrapped, ready to hang on the wall) or unstretched (with 9cm white border) ready for you to frame yourself.
