Mark Hobson (Prints)

For several years a pair of Trumpeter swans have chosen to spend their winters on a small marsh near my studio in the heart of Clayoquot Sound. Over the years I have cautiously approached them many times and eventually they have become relaxed enough for me to get photos of them. On one of the rare sunny mornings in February the male flapped his wings and I immediately knew I had to paint the scene. The way the light was coming through his feathers was an exquisite sight yet even with a photo it turned out to be harder to get right than I had expected. The light patterns bouncing up on their bellies was also an interesting challenge.