Merry King

One of the most defining features of our beloved kookaburra is not only their iconic laugh but the blue highlights on their wings. Not as stand out as other kingfishers but subtle enough to still catch your eye. It reminded me of our native Blue-banded Bees so I thought of the two as fitting companions for their harmony of colours. Though I try to stay as true to the flames as I can, adding the watercolour in the artwork just makes it a bit more… ‘Merry’, for our native King.

The Laughing Kookaburra is the largest bird in the Kingfisher family. It is stout, stocky, has a large head,  and a very large bill. The male and female have similar colouring, with the female being slightly larger and has less blue to the rump. 
In the 1930s it inspired a famous children’s song written by music teacher Marion Sinclair for the 1934 Girl Guides Jamboree. The song was originally titled “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree” and soon gained world-wide popularity for the kookaburra alongside other unique and iconic Australian animals such as the koala and kangaroo. 

'Merry King' made with Fumage and Watercolour