Across the Magic Mountain – Pastel – 16 x 22 inch

An hour north of where I live is a truly magical place called Mt Bruce. A large chunk of unspoilt mountain area was bought by the people of the valley to preserve the flora and fauna unique to New Zealand.

The area is contained by a high fence and kept predator-free by several rangers. A large variety of breeding programs boosts the population of critically endangered species. One of them includes the Kaka, a large parrot with chocolate coloured feathers that have a green/yellow sheen to them. The underside of their wings is red.

These birds are real characters that love to boisterously interact with each other and humans and they don’t mind stripping half a tree of its bark in the process. I enjoy their expressiveness and their beauty. Look at these two cuddling on a branch while preening each other’s feathers.