Pelican Post

This sketch is of Eagle Beach in Aruba.  Our cruise ship stopped there one day last December.  It was an odd day, cloudy and a bit rainy to start with, and very humid for us Canadians who were used to a dry cold climate.  We are also not used to rain that is warm and pleasant. It stopped raining, and became hot and beautiful.  There were lots of lizards of many kinds on this island.  The sky remained dramatic and overcast, which was really good for taking photos.  Towards the end of the afternoon on Eagle Beach, the heat and humidity were almost enervating.  The pelicans were resting on these perches in between diving for fish.  The overcast sky showed their distinctive silhouettes with their swooping beaks and awkward wing humps.  They really are unmistakable in profile.  I wanted to capture the beautiful colours of the water and the dramatic sky behind the pelicans.
Watercolor in the Handbook sketchbook (which I really like!).  


Nature’s prime favourites were the Pelicans;
High-fed, long-lived, and sociable and free.
        Montgomery—Pelican Island. Canto V. L. 144.