Any encounter with a single one of these fish-eating ducks is a treat, but I immediately envisioned a painting when I had the good fortune in midsummer to observe a Common Merganser female leading her brood of ducklings along the edge of the Poudre River. On that same outing, I noticed a monarch butterfly visiting the nearby flowers of swamp milkweed. So I combined these sightings in memory of a particularly delightful summer day.
Original:15 x 30 inch Acrylic on canvas by Susan E. Quinlan
Available as an archival giclée print; gallery wrap on canvas