Curious kangaroo

Curious kangaroo

Think of Australia and you will think of kangaroos. What I didn’t appreciate is that there are 60 species of kangaroos – ranging from the two-metre (six-foot) tall red kangaroo to the musky rat kangaroo, whose tiny bodies are typically smaller than a rabbit. I am celebrating the Eastern Grey in this painting. He’s a curious chap and is checking out the food situation.

Painted in ink and watercolour, my aim is to capture the character of this iconic animal.

So a few more kangaroo facts for you:

• Kangaroo joeys are the size of a jellybean …
• They can’t move backwards …
• They can hop 8 metres (25 feet) in a single bound …
• Female kangaroos can pause their pregnancies …
• Their tail is used as a fifth limb

Painted in watercolour and ink, this kangaroo is 39x39cm.