‘Flamingo’

The iconic pink colouring of a flamingo is actually gained from the food they consume. Crustaceans, shrimp, insects and algae being a large part of their diet, all contain carotene. It’s the natural ‘red’ pigment contained in these many plants and animals that give the flamingo feathers their tone.

Flamingos are actually born white and grey and overtime develop into variations dependent on their global distribution and food source. The famous flamingos of Florida being the iconic bright pink. But other colonies (or flamboyances) vary from red to orange.

Here’s my ‘flamingo’, reverse painted in tones of blended white, pink and red pigments and double gilded in copper and 24kt gold leaf, you can find him over on my Purchase page.