acrylic on clayboard 10” x 8” Of all the world's beautiful pheasants, perhaps none is more striking than the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), native to mixed woods in the mountains of western China. Its hardy constitution and handsome plumage have made it a favorite aviary bird, and small populations have been introduced to a number of localities in Europe and North America. The female lacks the golden “cape” and gaudy colors of the male, but, her boldly barred bronzy-brown feathers have their own, more subtle, beauty. This painting shows a rooster Golden in his typical, rugged montane habitat, warily strutting past young David's Pines (Pinus armandii). |
