A Curve of Coral

About this piece

A flamingo’s curved neck stretches across luminous green water, its coral plumage contrasting with the shifting reflections. The close crop emphasizes feather texture and the slender legs, while ripples loosen the bird’s reflected form into wavering bands of color.

The story

I framed the flamingo closely, following the long bend of its neck down to the water. Where its bill met the surface, small ripples spread through the green reflections and pulled its mirrored shape apart. I was drawn to that contrast: the clear detail of feathers above, the restless color below. For a moment, the bird and its reflection seemed to offer two ways of seeing the same graceful line.