Wee Three (Western Seagull chicks)

I painted this piece from reference given to me by my friends, Carol and Jeff Davis of Coos Bay, Oregon.  I nearly always use my own reference but in this case, since I painted it for the 27th Annual National Maritime for which I was the Featured Artist, I felt it was quite appropriate.   After severe cropping and simplification, I came up with this design which shows the little chicks up close.  Otherwise, they would have been lost in the shuffle. It was great fun, creating the different textures in this painting.

The only gull nesting along most of the Pacific coast from Washington to Baja, this large species is common in all seasons.  Fed by both parents, the young may leave the nest when a few days old to hide in nearby vegetation and become capable of flight about 6-7 weeks after hatching.