female ruby-throated hummingbird
Acrylic on canvas, 9 1/4 x 12 1/16 in. (2005)

Bigger than bees, but not much heavier, these pollinators buzz about whacking their wings to and fro at about 25 times per second. Thank goodness that wildlife artists can freeze time, and show that they do actually have wings, not just whirling blurs on their flanks.

It seems a time-honoured tradition of nature that the female birds are much blander in colouration, and sometimes smaller than the males. For humans however, the colouration tends to be more the purview of the female though men still seem to be bigger. Just compare football players to the cheerleaders.

The female tends the nest, lays the eggs and generally provides domestic services all round. Their job is to stay hidden with the brood, while the male whirls about, attracting the nasties away from the home.

There have got to be worse jobs.

This painting has been SOLD.
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