Tropical Canopy – Scarlet Macaws
Robert Bateman Hand Signed Limited Edition Print 17.25″ x 31″
Edition Size: 550
“It is one thing to see, and especially hear, a scarlet macaw in a home or zoo. It is quite another thing to observe them in the wild. With all due respect to zookeepers and pet owners, I don’t know how they stand the commotion. In another sense the plumage of these birds is an aggressive commotion in colour. The brilliant primary hues are almost too much and sort of shriek at you like commercial sign painting.
But in the the riotous chaos of a rainforest canopy this cacophony of sound and colour completely fits, in a kind of outstanding way. The shrieks and raucous calls usually precede a flock of these gregarious birds. Then it is quite amazing how hard it is to see them unless they fly. They are up in the treetops where the fruit and flowers are. And they climb around in an acrobatic way almost like monkeys in search of their food.
In this painting I included striking epiphytes to compete with the birds in the colourful and complex canopy setting.” Robert Bateman
(From the original painting Tropical Canopy – Scarlet Macaws – 2001 – 20″ x 36″ Acrylic on Board)
