Mangrove Shadow - Common Egret

Mangrove Shadow is a subdued scene of stillness - only the tail feathers of the bird disturb the water - yet there is also the anticipation of the dusk hunt and the strike of the predator. This is a scene of shadows and reflections, of the eerie mangrove depths, where dangers are easily concealed among the tropical roots and dark, waxy foliage.

I rarely paint in boldly contrasting values as they can be overpowering, but here, the hunter must be even less apparent than the patterns in the background. The calligraphic white reflections in the water, whiter than the bird, push this common egret back into the murky light.