Framed oil painting

30 x 24 (image size) oil on linen

Snowy’s Island Sanctuary ~ Painting a companion piece!

I enjoyed painting Snowy’s Evening Retreat so much that I decided to paint another Snowy Egret painting as a companion piece. It is entitled Snowy’s Island Sanctuary. The warmth of the golden hour bathes the scene in sunlight. The all white-feathered bird, with its large, bright yellow feet stands out against the dark background, raising its wings and sporting a full crest of head feathers.

Snowies most often nest on barrier islands, where they are less vulnerable from predators. They form colonies and nest in trees, bushes and mangroves, usually along with other types of egrets and herons. In my painting, the Snowy has emerged from the shadows and is framed by palmetto greenery. Its sanctuary is Isle of Palms, a barrier island near Charleston, SC.

Without camouflage, this particular bird smartly chose to nest on a lake’s very small island on Isle of Palms. I love the way the palmetto fronds all point to the bird as if it is on stage with spotlights highlighting the star of the show.

With water all around, this carnivorous bird has a diverse food supply nearby consisting of fish, crustaceans, insects, reptiles, and other aquatic animals.

It’s hard to believe that at the turn of the century these magnificent birds almost became extinct due to plume poachers hunting them for their highly sought after nuptial plumes. The feathers were valued at $32 per ounce, at the time higher than the price of gold! The delicate, white feathers were used in the fashion industry to adorn women’s hats.

Thanks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and environmental measures enforced like the protection of wetlands, the species is now thriving.

Living here in the Lowcountry, I see Snowies on almost a daily basis. This year in particular has been a good birdwatching year for Snowy Egrets. I’ve seen several nesting rookeries, with dozens of Snowies at different stages of raising their young.

They usually lay 3 to 6 eggs. It takes 20-24 days for the eggs to hatch and then 30 days more before they fly. Both male and female birds share in the parental responsibilities.

My painting depicts an adult Snowy taking a break from the nest, stretching its wings and having some me time. It took the time to preen, display its feathers, and eventually took a short flight before settling in for the evening.

Snowies provide me with much entertainment while birding; the way they forage for food with their big, yellow feet disturbing the bottom sediments and startling their prey, the way they circle their nest and tumble from the sky, their loud raucous calls, and the way their silky plumes stand on end to attract a mate creating some most amusing looks.

Snowy’s Island Sanctuary captures a real moment in time for me. It was one of those magical Lowcountry experiences, which compelled me to recreate it on canvas. I worked on capturing strong lighting and depth. I also strove to create natural looking greens by mixing a variety of colors, never opening a tube of green paint.