Just who is the Perfectly Perched Pelican???
After doing a little digging, I found out a bit of information on the pelican featured in my painting entitled Perfectly Perched Pelican. In my journal I took a guess and stated I thought it might be an older bird, one that spent many years cruising the surf over Virginia Beach. Well I was somewhat right and somewhat wrong!
Now that I’ve painted her, I think we should be on a first name basis. I’d like to call her Patty. That’s right it’s a she! She is actually a young bird, about five years old. I was told that one could tell by the fact that her head just turned white not too long ago. She was brought to the Virginia Living Museum by a rehabber in Virginia Beach. So I was wrong about her age but right about the fact that she used to hang out in Virginia Beach.
Patty the Perfectly Perched Pelican
Painting of Patty the Pelican Perfectly Perched SOLD
Unfortunately, Patty has a severe injury to her right wing and can’t flutter very much at all. Fortunately, the good people at the Living Museum have given her a happy home where she is being well cared for.
We were just there recently and witnessed Patty enjoying time with the other pelican. Her friend is a male bird with a strong white/yellow head, roughly around 12 years old. He sustained frostbite damage on a wing tip and cannot fly well enough to survive in the wild. They seem happy in their environment, spending time nibbling on each other's beaks, sleeping side-by-side, and enjoying being the center of attention.
So if you want to get to know Patty in person, be sure to visit the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
Thanks as always for being interested in my art and what I’m up to! I’m just finishing another pelican painting, and will be featuring it in my journal in the near future!
“One of the joys of being an artist is having the freedom to follow my passion...”
What's next?
Drawing by William R. Beebe