Framed Oil painting, 40 x 30, (image size) Oil on canvas

Mr. Persnickety ~ A Brown Pelican who is very finicky about his feathers!

I came across this handsome Brown Pelican nine years ago on a trip to Key Largo, Florida. I remember being excited about getting such a close-up look at him on a piling in a marina. He posed for me for quite awhile. He was busy preening, stretching, flapping his wings and putting on a show. I call him Mr. Persnickety because he was so particular and finicky about cleaning his feathers!

I was looking back through my pelican images hoping to see one that would inspire a painting and this one stood out. I love how all of his back and wing feathers are fluffed up and how he meticulously went about his business. I also like the way his large webbed feet hang over the edge of the piling. It is a classic pose for Brown Pelicans, statuesque in nature.

Preening is when they use their long bill to spread oil from a gland near their back tail feathers to their body and wing feathers to help clean and protect the feathers from water and parasites. This will usually involve fluffing up their feathers, which also helps air them out and control their body temperature.

Whenever I see a Brown Pelican, or any other bird preening like Mr. Persnickety, it is usually a bird photographer’s field day. They take quite a bit of time to groom and usually end up stretching, yawning, and surprising me with yoga-like poses. :)

His yellow head and white neck indicate that he is a mature pelican. He’s already weathered storms, frosty cold weather, extreme heat, and sparring for food with other pelicans. You can see it in the way he proudly carries himself and the weathered look to his bill. :)

I used a palette knife on the background using various shades of gray to create an atmospheric look to the sky. Most of the bird was painted using brushes with a few dabs from a knife for effect.

When I look at Mr. Persnickety I think of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever saying “Watch the hair!” Or Kookie in the classic TV show 77 Sunset Strip, a character who was obsessed with combing grease into his hair!

Maybe on second thought I should have named Mr. Persnickety, Kookie! :)

The painting is large, 40”x30” on canvas, making the pelican close to life-size which helps create a sense of reality.

It was a pleasure to paint his portrait. I hope you like the pose and the painting!