03926 The Open Air Is Holding Me

Their range is far and wide; their beauty mesmerizes constantly.  Great Egrets in flight are purposeful, strong and elegant.  With a wingbeat occurrence at about two beats per second, they appear to be moving slowly.  However, the average speed is about 25 mph and up to 32 mph when needed.  Their, nice wide wings help them to fly so gracefully.  Unlike White Ibis (seen in the distance of this painting) and Wood Storks, who hold their necks straight in front of them when flying, Great Egrets fold their long, sinewy necks into an S formation and hold them close to their shoulders.  Their long black legs trail straight behind them.  Snowy Egrets utilize the same format when in the air, but the sizes of the two birds make them easy to differentiate.  The Snowy is half the size of the Great Egret. The Open Air is Holding Me, measures 24” x 24” (61 cm x 61 cm) and is oil on canvas.  I painted this from a dock.

The bird’s destination describes the next painting.  If I stand on that dock and look back at the mainland I see I Love the Air, I Love the Trees, a 12” x 36” (30 x 91 cm) oil on canvas.  This was painted during the Edisto Island Plein Air Paint Out, held every year during the third week of October.