During Melbourne’s long and monotonous lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, the local parks were the saviour of my mental health. When we weren’t allowed to travel outside a 5km radius of our homes, I was lucky enough to have two parks close enough to visit on our daily walk. Both of them feature wetlands and are rich in bird life. This particular scene is one that I paint on repeat, as I’ve been struggling to capture it in quite the way I want. Finally, I think I’ve got it.