Black Cockatoos at Dusk

Two black cockatoos sweep across the evening sky, silhouetted against the last light of the day. Beneath them, a layered landscape unfolds—rolling hills, reflective water, textured bushland, and vibrant native wildflowers—capturing the richness and diversity of the Australian environment.

The setting sun casts a golden glow across the scene, illuminating the land below and creating a sense of quiet transition. The cockatoos, often seen as symbols of resilience, freedom, and connection to place, become guides across this dreamlike landscape, moving effortlessly between earth and sky.

Rich textures, translucent layers, and intricate mark-making invite closer inspection, revealing hidden details within the hills and waterways. The contrast between the dark birds and the luminous landscape creates a visual rhythm that speaks of movement, migration, and the enduring relationship between wildlife and country.

This work celebrates the beauty of the Australian bush at day’s end—a moment when light softens, colours deepen, and nature settles into stillness. It is both a landscape and a memory, capturing not a specific place, but the feeling of belonging to one.

Artist’s Note

Black cockatoos have always fascinated me. Their strong silhouettes and distinctive flight patterns make them impossible to ignore as they cross the sky. In this painting, I wanted to capture the feeling of watching them at sunset, when the landscape is bathed in warm light and the day begins to slow. Layers of texture, pattern, and native botanical forms create a landscape that is part observation and part imagination—a celebration of the Australian environment and the wildlife that inhabits it.