The Unimpressed Cassowary

"The Unimpressed Cassowary" is one of my first attempt at painting birds, which surprises me because I adore birds - why have I not painted them sooner? I lived in Cairns about 20 years ago and I remember going to a nature park and witnessing a cassowary for the first time, with that crazy noise they make. They are a strange bird and I wanted to capture that unique quirkiness in my painting.

I started with a rough outline using brushes but moved on with impasto and a palette knife to create a lot of texture for this bird. I didn't want him to look clean and polished, I wanted him rough and messy! As I worked with the palette knife his face started looking somewhat angry so I softened it a little with some brushwork and now he gives the impression of being unimpressed which is very fitting, because I think a lot of cassowaries give this vibe.

This painting is relatively small, 18" x 24" and suits a small wall.