This is a pen and ink drawing with translucent watercolour of an immature Female Allens Hummingbird(Selasphorus sasin) with Sticky Monkey-Flower(Mimulus aurantiacus). Mimulus is Latin for little mime or comic actor, for the face-like corolla. The Allens is common only in the brushy woods, gardens, and meadows of coastal California and Oregon, having one of the smallest breeding ranges in the U.S. The structure of this piece was designed to show the delicacy of both bird and flower by creating a symmetry between the wings and the two blooms, the angle of of each subtly mimicking that of the other. I originally had the blooms both open, but in the end found that the effect was more successful with the top bloom being left closed. Though the flower is from a bush I decided to use just one stem and create movement by slightly shifting the leaves down its axis. I am fortunate to live in an area where I can see such beauties and was inspired to do this drawing by observing just such a scene on one of my morning walks. Wishing you a wonderful weekend full of love and joy ;-)
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 00:10:27 +0000