"Flight of Teals"

The common teal (Anas crecca) is the smallest surface duck in Europe. The male in breeding plumage is distinguished by a chestnut head with an iridescent green mask bordered by a cream line, and a bright green wing speculum. It is a very fast migrant, capable of tight turns in compact groups — a characteristic spectacle in autumn skies above wetlands.

The birds are shown in free flight, scattered on the white ground of the paper, in slightly different orientations that convey the dynamic of a group in migration. The watercolour treats each individual plumage with precision — males with their green and chestnut reflections, more discreet females — while leaving the space around them to breathe. It is that unpainted space, as much as the birds themselves, that gives the painting its feeling of altitude and open air.