Morning Mandarin

Description

Male mandarin ducks are undeniably beautiful with their bright rainbow plumage, but personally I prefer the understated beauty of the female mandarin duck.

This painting came from an early morning walk looking for kingfishers along the Porter Valley in Sheffield. I didn’t see any that day, but the sunrise cast a beautiful warm light over the birds at Wire Mill Dam, and this female mandarin struck a perfect pose, balancing serenely on an outstretched branch above the water.

Backlit scenes like this always appeal to me, but I wasn’t sure how well I could pull it off. With this kind of painting, it’s hard to see the full effect until you’re almost done, because you need the strong contrast between the lights and darks to really sell it, and the bright lights are some of the last strokes to be applied.

I really love the end result, with the glowing orange rim light, and the hazy dark background that really brings the bird to life.

Framed or Unframed

Choose framed at checkout and it arrives ready to hang. The frame is natural ayous, a pale, lightweight hardwood, with a 7mm face and 21mm depth. The panel sits inside it with a 5mm gap all round, so the painted edge of the panel stays visible and the picture floats inside the frame rather than sitting flush against it. That adds about 12mm to each side. A flush mount is already fitted to the back for hanging.

If you would rather choose your own framing, buy it unframed. For advice please refer to How to Frame a Painting on a Panel.

Original Artwork Details

Specifications:

• Medium: Oil on gessobord panel
• Size: 10 × 8 inches (~ 25 × 20 cm)
• Depth: 0.3 cm (~ 1/8 inch)
• Available framed or unframed
• Framed size: approximately 27.8 × 22.7 cm (~ 11 × 9 inches)
• Frame: natural ayous, 7mm face, 21mm depth, 5mm float gap, flush mount fitted
• Year: 2026
• Signed on reverse

Shipping & Care

Your painting will be carefully packaged with protective materials and shipped via Royal Mail within 3-5 business days. The panel is robust and archival – oil paintings on panel have been proven to last for centuries when properly cared for. Display away from direct sunlight and extreme humidity for best longevity.