"The Crown" in time lapse

This Grey Crowned Crane, captured by Brian Culver, has been on my Wish List to paint for ages! Finally being able to bring her to life was nothing short of magical! That intense ice-blue eye, the bizarrely beautiful combination of bits, the bold gular pouch, and of course that iconic golden crown -- every tiny detail felt like uncovering a secret from Mother Nature’s sketchbook. Wild, regal, slightly eccentric… basically the glamorous queen we all want to be when we grow up! ;)

I recently asked my loyal newsletter subscribers to share their opinion on a title for this dashing darling (not part of my mailing list yet? What are you waiting for?! Sign up here!), and this bird-based democracy did not disappoint! Here are the results:

"The Crown" — 52.6%
"Majesty" — 26.3%
"Royal" — 10.5%
"Goldilocks" — 10.5%

The Crown takes the throne! Clearly, this beauty needed a name as striking and noble as her presence... Long live the Queen! And while the time-lapse makes it look like she strutted onto the page in a matter of seconds, trust me -- this royal took her sweet, dignified time to arrive...!