Great-tailed Grackle (2026) Original Oil Painting by Nimasha Perera

Black birds are not really black. Get close to a grackle in good light and the feathers turn blue, violet and teal, colours that only show at certain angles. That shift is what I wanted to paint.

I set the bird against bright yellow so there is nothing else to look at. No branch, no sky, just warm gold behind cool blue black, with the bird filling most of the canvas in profile and that pale eye turned out toward you.

Grackles are common. People find them noisy and a bit of a nuisance. I think they are among the most beautiful birds you can see on an ordinary day, and I wanted to give this one the attention it does not usually get.

Oil on canvas panel, 16 x 12 inches, unframed. Hanging hardware not included.

Materials used:

Oil on canvas panel

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 40.64 x 30.48 x 0.3cm (unframed) / 40.64 x 30.48cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Impressionistic
• Subject: Animals and birds