It's hard to draw at the zoo!

A couple of months ago I went to London Zoo ... without the kids in tow. I took my sketchbook and lots of paints and inks and brushes and palettes. I was excited. I was going to have all the time in the world to draw animals! Once I finally got there I was so tired from the tube journey and the walk and carrying all my paints and inks etc that I had to sit in the cafe and have a coffee and a sandwich (brie and grape I think). Then it started to spit with rain ... you can see where this is going, can't you? And then most of the animals were either in their dark enclosures or hopping about so fast I couldn't even get my pencil to the paper.

Anyway, after much frustration I came across an enclosure of 'Scarlett Ibis' They all stood looking at me, perfectly still and serene like they were sewn into a William Morris tapestry. I decided just to enjoy looking at them rather than attempting to sketch them in my already damp sketchbook. Plus, I didn't have that shade of orangey/pinky/red anyway. What the hell is that colour?

Sorry for the ramble. But just to say, it's very hard to draw at the zoo and a couple of months later I finally did a picture which I think shows off the true beauty of the Scarlett Ibis ...