Inspiration: My local Archery course is up amongst the bush as you’re headed to the Alpine. It wasn’t until winter started that I noticed a group of Gang-Gang Cockatoos in the trees above. Their bright red crowns are hard to miss! Watching them fly through the trees and interact with each other was a rather endearing sight for sure. I later collected multiple feathers around the place and studying the patterns for the first time was captivating; the inspiration had found me.

A big thank you to Stephen Jesic for the photo reference!

Gang-gang Cockatoos are a distinctive and charismatic bird. Endemic to Australia’s south-eastern mainland, they are seen in higher elevations during spring and summer and lower elevations in autumn and winter. Both the adult male and female are small, stocky, have a wispy crest, and are overall dark grey. The adult male is easily identified by his orange-red head and curled crest. This species plays an important role in the seed distribution from various plant species. They are under threat due to land clearing activities that remove their preferred nesting sites. 

Artworks by Maegan Oberhardt highlight many species of wildlife native to Australia. This piece forms part of a collection of artwork that expands environments, composition, and the use of compatible media within the piece. The primary connection within her art is in the technique. It is man-made fire burning paper (which is a by-product of trees). This comments on the conflict between man and nature. The result of that conflict is that most wild species are directly impacted by man’s carbon footprint.

This series has had a foundation of watercolour painted on the sketch to create a more accurate depiction of the subject. In addition, soot was utilised to achieve the variety of charcoal greys present in the finished artwork.