Brown Pelican Watercolor

I have never painted a brown pelican before – this is my first.  I have completed several small white pelican pieces, however – but the brown seemed to be much more ‘exotic’ in it’s coloring.  It was a real treat to paint it.

Being in the near-center of North America, I never saw a lot of these birds until I traveled to the coasts.  I have had so many nice opportunities to watch them – especially enjoying their stunning displays as they dive into the ocean fishing.  One of my galleries on the East Coast suggested that I paint this one for them…so I did. :D

I chose this plumage phase of the pelican because of the striking coloring.  The colors seemed to compliment each other so well.  I posted a cropped image of the head so one can see the fine feathers and texture that are in the painting.  (The scans are, however, a bit harsh compared to the original painting.)

The original watercolor was a part of a contemporary miniature show at Decoys and Wildlife Gallery – http://www.decoyswildlife.com and is now in a private collection.

Giclee prints are available of this piece – please drop me an email if you would like to add it to your collection.