Original Oil Painting | Lazy Cow by Erin Kirtley

Je Ne Sais Quack began one sunny spring morning in Paris. We bought strong coffee, shiny fruit, and flaky pastries that were carried over to the Bois de Boulogne for a spontaneous picnic.

I spent the morning sketching the beautiful lake and taking photos, when a Mandarin duck caught my eye. I’m not sure why I fell for this particular character. He just had that certain something, that je ne sais quack.

The decision to paint him came later that summer in Florence. Standing in the Uffizi Gallery in front of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, I found myself studying the waves and wondering how difficult it would be to paint water well.

I decided there, and then that water in oils would be my next challenge.

The water in my photo was full of ripples, sparkles, and reflections from the trees and sky. I struggled with it until I finally loosened up, grabbed an acrylic marker and scribbled all over it. Suddenly, the messy, natural lines started to work.

The scene itself is simple: a duck on a lake. But male Mandarin ducks are anything but simple, with extraordinary colours and feathers that look a little like a beautifully tailored, slightly flamboyant waistcoat.

A simple setting, a particularly handsome duck, and a painting that pushed me to try something new.